Manufacturer Hypertherm, a Hanover-based manufacturer of industrial cutting systems and software, joins the growing number of U.S. employers taking a proactive stand in committing to improving diversity in the workplace.
“Diversity and inclusion are often difficult and sensitive issues to discuss,” Hypertherm CEO Evan Smith said in a news release. “Hypertherm strongly believes we have a responsibility to cultivate an environment that is welcoming to all people no matter their ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, or countless other aspects of individual identity.”
Hypertherm signed two pledges committing to be more inclusive in both hiring and advancement of current employees, according to a report by the Concord Monitor.
The Pledge for Action organized by the National Association of Manufacturers NAM seeks to increase employees at Hypertherm from “underrepresented communities” as part of its goal to create 300,000 manufacturing jobs for people of color by 2030.
CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion commits “to cultivate a workplace where diverse perspectives and experiences are welcomed and respected and where employees feel encouraged to discuss diversity and inclusion.”
Hypertherm says that 14-percent of its 1,550 U.S. employees identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC). In the Upper Valley, Hypertherm employs about 1,100 people; Smith said turnover runs about 7-percent or 77 positions annually).
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that of New Hampshire’s 1.356 million residents, approximately 10-percent are Hispanic-Latino.
