Pearl Interactive Network of Winchester received the Employer of the Year award from Goodwill Industries of Kentucky. The award was presented to Pearl at Goodwill’s annual awards ceremony, held February 28 at Gheens Foundation Lodge in Louisville.
Pearl Interactive Network delivers contact center services, offering excellent customer service while providing job opportunities for people with disabilities. The company employs 300 people in Winchester, including two people from Goodwill’s workforce development program.
Other companies and individuals receiving awards included:
- Automated Cutting Technologies (Nicholasville): Employer of the Year, GTS Staffing (Goodwill subsidiary)
- Friends of the Paul Sawyier Public Library (Frankfort): Partner of the Year
- Auction Broadcasting Company (Bowling Green): Vendor of the Year
- Brown-Forman Corp. (Louisville): John L. Fort Crystal Award
- Reps. Tom Burch, Dwight D. Butler and Tanya Pullin: Edgar J. Helms Extra Mile Award
- Matt Boudreaux of Morehead and Jody Hellard of Lexington: Lily Banerjee Trust Scholarship
In addition to creating jobs and hands-on training through its 63 donated goods centers statewide, Goodwill provides employment counseling, adult literacy programs, and job search and resume-writing help. In fiscal year 2013 Goodwill Industries of Kentucky employed nearly 1,300 Kentuckians, placed 2,470 people in jobs, and paid almost $18 million in wages to people with disabilities or other barriers to employment.