News & Press Releases
Local Business Champion Sends Participant Down the Road
CRYSTAL LAKE - John Blanchard, executive director of NASA Education Corporation a 501(c)(3) nonprofit company and current 2008 McHenry County Economic Development Corporation's Special Recognition Business Champion proudly watched as the first successful CDL licensed participant of Project Fresh Start headed out on his first over the road, 4 day run in a tractor-trailer owned by NASA Education Corporation, operated by Vet-Teks, Inc. The run will take him from Crystal Lake, Illinois; Lafayette, Indiana; Dallas, Texas; Poplar Bluff, Missouri; Menominee, Wisconsin; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Batavia, Illinois and back to Crystal Lake. All of Vet-Teks trucks are 4 days of driving and 3 days of routine maintenance, giving the drivers 3 days where they may have additional training and just a time for rest and relaxation before heading out to their next destination.
Participants of NASA Education's Project Fresh Start program, who are capable and have a desire to drive a truck, are offered the opportunity to go through our CDL program. Successful graduates of our CDL program may drive with one of our experienced drivers over the road, coast to coast, local day trips or in Vet-Teks medical transport , livery or towing services. "No matter what they decide to drive, they are now productive and embarking on a new career with a satisfaction and joy of accomplishment", said Blanchard of his participants. "Not all of our drivers have come through the program, but the majority are veterans and there's a special place in their hearts for the success of this program." Vet-Teks started with five trucks/trailers and recently acquired 4 more trucks/trailers. Blanchard recalled a promise he made, "I promised in October, 2007 that by the end of this year, 2008 that I would have fifty trucks on the road and I believe we'll make that very soon. Fifty trucks on the road equates to one hundred drivers or at least seventy-five participants from our program on the road working and receiving a competitive wage." Through the devoted leadership of Ray Charlette, an Airborne Ranger of the U.S. Army, we were able to accomplish this feat in a matter of weeks, where normally it takes months to get all of the paperwork pushed through; trucks and trailers purchased, titled and registered. Ray was referred to us through the Illinois Department of Employment Securities/LVER, stating that he had a gentleman that was down on his luck, but had a successful CDL driving record and 22 years of trucking experience. So three weeks before Christmas, we brought Ray on board and the rest will make history. Ray told Blanchard, "I really appreciate this opportunity and I won't let you and these guys (veterans in the program) down."
NASA Education has developed Avant-Garde as a kind of SBA organization which creates and initially funds the service disabled veteran-owned businesses. Avant-Garde takes care of all requirements for setting up a business such licensing and permits; all state and Federal filing requirements; payroll, unemployment, local and Federal tax issues; all employee and withholdings issues; and the education of the disabled veteran in investment opportunities. We also negotiate all Federal contract terms and agreements, and perform all invoicing and accounting tasks. Avant-Garde basically educates these individuals on how to be business owners. Typically these individuals have had plenty of technical experience, but may not know how to run and operate an actual business.
Avant-Garde has created three service disabled veteran-owned businesses since July of 2007. These are Anchor Solutions Corporation, Liberating Solutions, Inc. and Vet-Teks, Inc. Anchor Solutions Corporation specializes in call centers, customer service centers, help desk and dispatching services. Liberating Solutions, Inc. specializes in landscaping and grounds keeping, building maintenance, property management, light construction and demolition. The main focus of Vet-Teks, Inc. is transportation: livery, medical transport and over the road trucking. One of Vet-Tek's recent successes is that they currently facilitate a CDL school.
All of the service disabled veteran-owned businesses are successful bidders and benefactors of Federal contracts. Existing contracts are from Federal agencies such as The Bureau of Land Management; U.S. Department of Agriculture; U.S. Department of Defense; U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force; U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs; and the U.S. Department of Treasury.
Avant-Garde's gross annual contracts total $1,957,500.00 to date, which is really impressive for a little more than eight months of activity. However, as you can probably imagine, these new business owners quickly learn the cost of doing business when Avant-Garde instructs them in the general business ownership fundamentals, such as payroll, taxes, insurance and accounts payable. In keeping with the tradition of NASA Education Corporation and John Blanchard, these business owners are not forgetful of their past. They have their fellow veterans' needs at heart, and they have become significant contributors to NASA Education, Avant-Garde and the growth of this organization.
NASA Education is a Crystal Lake-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides comprehensive workforce and community reintegration services for U.S. veterans who are newly returned, displaced, disabled, homeless or otherwise in transition.
For more information about NASA Education, contact Amy Johnson, Program Director, at 866-EDU-4YOU (866-338-4968) or send an email to Amy_Johnson@nasaeducation.org