Honoring Our Heroes: A Tribute to Grede’s Veterans

On Veterans Day, we take this moment to honor and celebrate the invaluable contributions of our veterans. At Grede, we’re proud to share the stories of eight team members who have seamlessly integrated their military experiences into their roles here. Their narratives highlight the core values of a strong work ethic, commitment, integrity, and accountability—qualities that resonate deeply within our company culture.

Grede has pride and power in our people. Each unique personality and perspective is invaluable to our culture. At Grede, we highly regard the dedication and discipline of those who have served in the armed forces.

Our Military Transition Program, a key component of our Grow with Grede early career talent development strategy, exemplifies this commitment. Through partnerships with RecruitMilitary and Airstreams Renewables, we actively recruit and support veterans transitioning back to civilian life or seeking their next career opportunity.

On this Veterans Day, we reaffirm our pledge to honor and support our veterans and their families. To all veterans, we extend our heartfelt gratitude for your countless sacrifices. On behalf of everyone at Grede, we want to express our deep appreciation to keep us safe and free. Our nation’s future is bright, thanks to the heroes who have shaped our history.

Mario Ortego – Marine Corps (30 Years)

We’re starting off by highlighting an employee who spent a massive amount of his time in the military. Maintenance Planner Mario Ortego from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, served in the Marine Corps for 30 years!

After so much time in the Marine Corps, it isn’t a surprise that Mario applies his military experience every day in his role at Grede. The values he gained were honor, courage, commitment, leadership principles, integrity, dignity, and a strong work ethic.

“I can honestly say that my time as a Marine made me who I am today. Going into the Marines at 17 years old, they helped shape and mold my character, leadership principles, work ethos, integrity, and love for our country.

My peers know that I’m here to help in any way possible and that we can solve any problem together. There is nothing we can’t fix if we continue to teach, coach, and mentor each other,” said Mario.

Lonnie King – Army Veteran (15 Years)

Operations Manager Lonnie King from Biscoe, North Carolina, served in the Army for 15 years! His experience in the military strengthened his ability to lead at work and at home.

“As an Operations Manager, my time in the Army influenced my compassion and understanding toward people from diverse backgrounds and has made me a better man and leader.

I aim to instill accountability, teamwork, and integrity at Grede. I strive to teach team members critical thinking skills and learn creative ways to be successful and productive. My time in the military developed my ability to think quickly in a fast-paced environment,” said Lonnie.

Patrick Sheehan – Navy (12 Years)

Maintenance Supervisor Patrick Sheehan from Browntown, Wisconsin, served in the Navy for 12 years as an Interior Communications Electrician. He joined our team a little over a month ago.

One of the most prominent challenges sailors face is the constant change in life— from being deployed at sea for months to transferring to a new location every few years to changes in the daily schedule. Adaptability is a crucial skill to overcome this challenge, which he quickly embraced and mentored junior sailors to embrace.

“My time in the Navy was an incredible opportunity to travel the world and grow. I learned valuable technical skills from older sailors that I was able to hone in over my career and eventually teach to junior sailors as I became a part of that old crew.

I got to work with different people from different walks of life, which helped cultivate my skills in diplomacy. Having impactful communication and connections with others are essential aspects of leadership.

All these experiences and skills have helped me immensely in my transition to the civilian workforce at Grede. A foundry is very similar to the engine room of a ship. The equipment may be different, but keeping a safety-first mindset and adapting to the changing priorities in maintenance help me succeed in this environment. I’m thankful that the skills I cultivated over the years can be appreciated in this setting,” said Patrick.

Wade John Leto – Army & National Guard (Nine Years)

Maintenance Technician Wade John Lehto from Iron Mountain, Michigan, has been with Grede for 31 years! He served in multiple branches of the military:

• Michigan Army National Guard for two years – 107th Combat Engineering Battalion
• S. Army for three years – Schweinfurt German Third Infantry Division
• After 911, he reenlisted in the Army and served for three years – 14th Combat Engineer Battalion. During this time, he served in Iraq for one year.

The years John served in the military gave him the confidence and the skills to accomplish a strong work ethic. It gave him a can-do attitude and dedication to the success of life’s responsibilities.

“I try to lead by example and take great pride in God, my family, friends, and teammates. Grede is family-oriented, and I’ve had fantastic guidance from fellow maintenance coworkers. In return, I help train new employees to help them accomplish the same experiences I have.

My time in the Army and National Guard helped me gain attention to detail, teamwork, pride in what I do, and a strong work ethic to help make a difference in our workforce and the lives of others,” said Wade.

Jeffrey Monroe – Navy (Four Years)

PLC Technician Jeffrey Monroe from St. Cloud, Minnesota, served in the Navy for four years as an Electrician Mate and Work Center Supervisor.

Jeffrey is our first hire through our new Military Transition Recruitment program that launched earlier this year.

Through Grow with Grede, we partner with RecruitMilitary to recruit military personnel transitioning back to civilian life. Grede has attended one virtual career fair and one in-person career fair in Fort Liberty, North Carolina, this year so far. We met Jeffrey at one of RecruitMilitary’s virtual career fairs.

Jeffrey has been with Grede for two months. He relocated from Tennessee and has been a great addition to our team. He is very eager to learn and continues to take advantage of our skill-based Maintenance Training Program. The program allows Maintenance Technicians, Electricians, and other skilled trades positions to increase their wages by learning new skills. There are six levels of increased wage opportunities.

Jeffrey’s time in the military taught him the importance of good leadership and proper training. He applies his experience in the military to his job because the attention to detail allows for better troubleshooting and understanding of issues.

“The qualities and values I gained from the military were punctuality, time management, and confidence. I chose to work at Grede because they offered the best training and career development opportunities,” said Jeffrey.

Matt Deyarmond – Navy (Four Years)

IoT Process and Control Lead Matt Deyarmond from our corporate team served in the Navy for four years as an Electrician Technician.

Matt has been with Grede for 14 years! He’s worked in various departments, including the Mold Department and Maintenance. He was the IT Manager at Iron Mountain in 2022 and was promoted to his current role of IoT Process and Control Lead as a corporate employee.

“My experience in the military taught me the importance of teamwork and problem-solving and gave me the electrical and controls knowledge and experience I use today.”

Matt gained qualities and values from the Navy, such as commitment, honesty, and a strong work ethic.

Video – Joe Slupski (Army) and Kendreon Robertson (Army)

Now, we’ll conclude our spotlights with a short video, where we’ll hear from two more of our veterans.

The video features Operations Manager Joe Slupski from Meadville, Pennsyvania, and Quality Lead Kendreon Robertson from Brewton, Alabama. They both served in the Army.

A significant portion of our 3,000-employee workforce are veterans, and we’re proud to spotlight several of them each year.

Celebrating the Strength and Dedication of Our Veterans

As we honor our veterans on this special day, we’re reminded of the profound impact their service has on our lives and our company. At Grede, we are committed to supporting our veterans and their families, recognizing the unique skills and values they bring to our team.

Their dedication, discipline, and unwavering commitment to excellence inspire us all. We extend our deepest gratitude to all veterans for your sacrifices and contributions. Your legacy of service continues to shape our future, and we are proud to stand with you today and every day.