2018 Military Community Support Award Recipients: Antonino Acura and Comcast
The Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT is pleased to announce that Antonino Acura of Groton and Comcast NBCUniversal are the recipients of the 2018 Military Community Support Award. Selected by the Chamber's Military Affiars Committee, these two outstanding businesses will be recognized for their commitment to eastern CT's men and women in uniform at the 9th Annual Military Appreciation Breakfast, taking place Friday, November 2, 7:45 to 9:15 a.m. at Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa. Click here for more info.
In this week's Blog post, take a look at the winning nominations for these two businesses. Make sure to let them know how much you appreciate what they have accomplished for the region's military community!
Antonino Acura
[Editor's note: this nomination came from a former US. Marine]
"I have lived in the area for 11 years and have had dealings with three of the major auto dealerships throughout that time. I have always kept my vehicles in great shape and kept up with their maintenance through their specific Brand's dealership. I purchased my first Acura a little over a year ago - it was previously owned and not purchased locally. However, since I always use brand-specific dealers for maintenance needs, when it was time for my first oil change and tire rotation I went to my local Acura dealer - Antonino Acura in Groton.
I went to the service department and was greeted by Aly and Jason. They were both immediately attentive to me and made me feel very welcome. I walked in as a new client and felt like I had been adopted into a loving family there. The only thing my Acura ever needed were normal maintenance items like oil change, brakes, wiper blade, remote battery etc., and every time I was treated like I was a very special person - like I mattered and my vehicle always came out at the time promised all washed and vacuumed. They would even give me a call a couple days later to ensure everything was still good with what was done. Best service department I have ever been to.
When I had mentioned I was thinking of getting a newer car they introduced me to Blanchard - one of their super friendly salesmen. He asked me a couple pertinent questions to make sure the model I was interested in was indeed the best for my needs and then gave me a complete tour of the vehicle and a test drive. He explained every feature I had questions about and really made me feel comfortable with no sales pressure.
When I came back in a couple days later to Blanchard and decided to purchase the vehicle, the Sales Manager (Cletus) came over when he heard I was a retired Marine. He said that he had family members who were in the military and that others in the dealership did too. He also mentioned that ever since the General Manager (Tony Eber) took over 5 years ago the dealership went out of their way to ensure the very best price possible for everyone who buys one of their automobiles and an extra discount on parts and services to all active military personnel. He also told me that Tony participates in the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT's "Service Person of the Month" award - kind of an "employee of the month'' award, giving away services, gift certificates, auto detailing, oil changes, etc. as awards. Tony looks for ways to help and enlighten the military community any way he can and he has also contributed to every major or minor event that the base asks his assistance in.
Tony believes so strongly in helping the military and especially the young enlisted men and women who may have never purchased a vehicle before, that although he gives a discounted price to them on top of any other discounts that may be available to all military personnel, he truly tries to coach them into NOT buying a car they cannot afford – even if it means losing a sale. He encourages them to start with one that matches their budget rather than sell them something they will struggle to pay for in the future. He personally works hand in hand with Navy Federal Credit Union to make sure that younger enlisted personnel understand credit and how it affects them in the future. He is currently discussing with them on creating a class to help them not only understand credit but how to properly manage it. And when the talking is over about which car you are buying and how much it's going to cost, it will be time to see the Finance Manager (Robert) who is funny, friendly and really good at his job. He makes the mound of paperwork breeze by painlessly - really amazing!
This dealership is truly deserving of the Military Community Support Award because of their integrity, dedication, and commitment to excellence in every department, treating every customer as a person and then following upon them, and because of their strong relationships in the community and truly looking out for welfare of our young men and women in the military."
Comcast NBCUniversal
"The employees of Comcast NBCUniversal have a special place in our hearts for veterans, dating back to Comcast’s Founder, Ralph Roberts, who served a four-year tour of duty in the U.S. Navy. We’re proud to be a leader in attracting, employing and supporting our active duty military service members, reservists, veterans, and their families.
Our commitment to the Military Community is reflected throughout our workforce. In 2015, Brigadier General Retired Carol Eggert. joined Comcast as our first Senior Vice President for Military and Veteran Affairs who works collaboratively across Comcast NBCUniversal to provide strategic leadership to all aspects of programs designed to engage the military and veteran community.
In 2015, Comcast NBCUniversal committed to hiring 10,000 Veterans, National Guard and Reserve members, and Military Spouses across our company by the end of 2017. We reached, and, in fact, surpassed that goal, which included a number of veterans hired here in our Connecticut operations.
In 2017, Comcast signed the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Statement of Support pledging Comcast's ongoing efforts to hire and support members of the National Guard and Reserve component in Connecticut. As part of the signing ceremony, held at the Subase in Groton, members of the Military community were invited to meet with recruiters to explore career opportunities at Comcast. Comcast also participated in the Job Fair held at the Subase in Groton.
Hiring veterans continues to be a focus for us. Not only is it the right thing to do, we’ve found that time and again, the skill sets of military veterans – the ability to work independently, and to be decisive and resourceful, not to mention the technical and engineering skills they often possess – are very compatible with many of our positions.
For our employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserves, Comcast offers a range of benefits including supplemental pay and continued health and welfare benefit plans for up to three years for those called to active duty; up to 15 days paid time off leave for training in addition to normal time off; a dedicated military concierge service team; extended courtesy services while on active duty, and more.
Our Western New England Region, which is headquartered in Berlin, Connecticut, supports our Military community and a few years ago launched an employee resource group dedicated to our Veteran employees as well as veterans in the community. Veterans, in addition to all of our regional employees, are invited to join The Veteran’s Network, or “VetNet” that serves as a base of support for members in several ways, including a mentoring program and events focused on growing the professional and personal development of veterans and their allies.
VetNet and Comcast’s Community Impact Team has supported the Military community in a variety of impactful ways:
In addition, specifically in Southeastern Connecticut, Comcast supports the Military community through a number of initiatives, including:
Through our varied work-based and community impact initiatives, Comcast is committed to the Military community and we look forward to continuing our engagement with local veteran organizations in the communities we serve."
The Chamber congratulates these busineses for going above and beyond in supporting our military community. Help recognize them at the November 2 Military Appreciation Breakfast at Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa. Inquire about promotional opportunities for your business.
