BNSF named 'Large Employer of the Year' for Texas veterans

BNSF Railway Co. was honored this month by the Texas Veterans Commission for the Class I's dedication to hiring military veterans.

The Fort Worth-based company was recognized at an Aug. 9 awards ceremony held in Humble, Texas. Each year, the commission's staff nominates businesses and organizations that demonstrate effective veteran-employment initiatives and have embraced veterans in its workforce.

BNSF, which was named “Large Employer of the Year,” has a workforce of more than 36,000 people. One in five BNSF employees have served in a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, and almost 30% of the company’s new hires are veterans, BNSF officials said in a press release.

"We believe military veterans have a unique set of skills and experiences that are highly valuable to our organization," said Mark Schulze, BNSF's vice president of safety training and operations support. "We hold in high esteem the sacrifices they’ve made in serving our nation and are deeply committed to helping them achieve their career goals within our company."