Rockwell Collins
Rockwell Collins is an aviation company employing 20,000 people worldwide, but it still finds a way to stay grounded. In 1992, Goodwill of the Heartland began a recycling partnership with Rockwell Collins.
As Goodwill of the Heartland’s Contracts Partner of 2009, Rockwell Collins has provided opportunities for individuals with barriers to independence.
Darrel Brothersen, Rockwell Collins Resource Recycling & Waste Reduction Specialist, says workers with disabilities should not be discounted.
“Everybody in the world has a disability,” Darrel said. “But the opposite side of that is you’re going to excel in something else.”
Last year those workers helped Rockwell Collins to process over 1,300 pallets of packaging material, weighing an estimated 67 tons.
As for those who doubt the capacity of workers with disabilities, Darrel said all he had to do was show them his facility.
“We’ve taken those doubters and we’ve had them come on a tour and let them take off their blinders and say, ‘Oh my goodness. I had no idea Goodwill could do that. I thought it was just a store down the street.’”
Merilee Clark is one of the 134 Contracts Services team members who helped Rockwell Collins complete its projects in 2009.
