Hiring military veterans is often framed as a charitable act, but Jim Lose, CEO at The Military Veteran, argues it is actually one of the smartest business decisions a trade company can make. With over 25 years of experience in military recruiting, Jim has placed hundreds of former service members into high-level leadership roles, including general managers, VPs of operations, and CEOs within the HVAC, plumbing, and electrical industries. In this special episode recorded live at Pantheon 2026, Jim breaks down why the military's focus on servant leadership, disciplined execution, and process-driven mindsets makes veterans an ideal fit for managing technician-driven businesses. He also shares practical resources for contractors looking to recruit from local bases like the SkillBridge program as a cost-free way to onboard new talent.

Join us as we discuss: 

• [1:47] How military service shaped Jim’s philanthropic mission to help veterans

• [7:45] Why veterans are built for the trades in both operations and field roles

• [15:11] The vet’s servant leadership mentality and why hiring them is not charity work

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

• SkillBridge

• Titan Creator Summit

You can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.

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