By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
Specialty Industries of St. Joseph has been providing meaningful employment to people with a disability for more than 50 years.
CEO Byron Myers says that for some of their employees, working in a competitive employment job is difficult, and one of the company's goals is to help them develop skills to be able to move into the competitive workplace.
"For example, learning how to manage the transit system to get to and from work everyday, learning how to pack and bring a lunch with you everyday, or learning how to get along with coworkers or follow the directions of your supervisor," Myers tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.
Myers says that every employee with the company works to give back to the St. Joseph community.
"We employ almost 130 folks, you know people who are living in the community, spending money in the community, going to social activities out in the community," Myers explains.
Myers says that while the overall goal of Specialty Industries is to provide meaningful employment, he says the broader vision is to provide a healthier quality of life.
"I think of that as improving their quality of life, and one way we can do that is by providing them a job where they're earning money," Myers says. "So they have more income in their pocket, they can buy healthier food items, they can go do fun social activities."
Along with celebrating its employees, Specialty Industries also opened a fully remodeled break room this week, featuring a special Chiefs mural designed by artist Chris Fleck.
The company this week celebrated all its employees and the work they have done over the years.
Myers says that the celebration this week was a part of National Disabled Employees Awareness month.
"And that's a broader thing, just to you know, make sure the community is aware that just because a person has a disability does not mean that they can't be an important and contributing part of our community," Myers proudly says. "You know there's a lot of work that gets done here by our folks that they should be very, very proud of."
Specialty Industries works with many local companies, such as Nestle and Hillyards, as well as companies around the world to package goods.
