On Tuesday, retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Mark Douglass spoke to the Club Car’s Veterans Employee Resource Group about his 40-plus year career in the military and his family tree of those who have served.
As a bonus, Club Car veterans received a barbecue lunch and a variety 4-pack of Douglass’ Warriors Choice barbecue sauces to take home. They also entered a drawing for barbecue tools and utensils.
The event was one of the quarterly events Club Car sponsors to treat the military veterans who work for the company.
Club Car Project Manager, Tabitha Winters, the leader of Club Car’s Veterans Employee Resource Group, volunteered some of her time leading up to Veterans Day to make this time of year special for the 90 or so veterans who work for the golf car manufacturer.
“My father is a disabled veteran, so they hold a special place in my heart,” said Winters (in red in the photo above the headline).
Club Car gives her a budget and time each quarter to bring in speakers and treat veterans to lunch and a nice gift, like barbecue sauces.
Douglass’ barbecue sauce recipe was more than 40 years in the making.
“I was in a reserve unit in North Carolina and hauled tanks around the country,” he recalled. “An old commanding officer said, let me show you how to make barbecue sauce, and oh, by the way, you’re driving a 28-wheeler!”
Douglass wrote the recipe down on an index card and tinkered with it for decades before launching the Warriors Choice company during the pandemic.
“Club Car should be commended,” he said. “Most companies don’t pay attention to their veterans. They kind of get lost in the shuffle.”
Luis Ortiz enjoyed the lunch and gift and is proud to keep an eye on all the hourly workers and veterans he recruits at Club Car as a member of the Human Resources Department. Ortiz served in the U.S. Army after moving from his native Puerto Rico and he appreciates Club Car’s culture.
“It’s very important to recognize veterans, to have monthly meetings, and to give back to the community with different events like runs and walks,” he said.
Winters makes sure she takes the temperature of the group each month in a meeting and listens. At a recent quarterly event, a mental health professional spoke to the group.
“Two or three commented that they struggled after serving and others said they still do,” she said.
It led to Winters providing information for a confidential hotline for employees to call.
