SALT LAKE CITY —Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve honored two Alpha Warranty Services managers with the Patriot Award, which recognizes individual supervisors who support service member employees, their families, and their military committments.

The ESGR was established in 1972 to promote cooperation and understanding between Reserve Component Service Members and their civilian employers regarding their military commitments. Brian Frees, a representative from the ESGR, presented the awards to Rick Olson and Jennifer Wood on Wednesday, April 5, Alpha Warranty Services’ corporate office.

They were nominated by claims adjuster and National Guardsman Michael Brizuela, who noted in the company’s press release that Olson, who serves as manager of claims, and Wood, who serves as call center manager, provide flexible accommodations and a work-life balance that allow him to fulfill his military duties.

“I really do appreciate their hard work and a how they always make my transition between Alpha and the National Guard easy, especially when I have to be gone for longer than two weeks at a time,” said Brizuela. “It’s not always easy being away from family and, on top of that, having to worry about work related tasks. But with such a supportive Alpha family, it makes it easier on me to be able to concentrate on my military responsibilities.

“I nominated them for this award to personally and publicly thank them for their support.”

Olson added: “I feel that this award reflects Alpha as a company and the claims department as a team. We have an amazing management team at Alpha that cares about its employees. I am extremely grateful for the National Guard and Armed Forces and thrilled to have them as part of our team. When they have scheduling needs, the claims team is amazing in their ability to pull together to make sure our customers continue to be taken care of even while we’re short-handed. This is hands down the best team I have been fortunate enough to be a part of.”

Alpha Warranty has a long history of supporting military efforts. The F&I product company was established while CEO Steve Rosenvall was serving in Afghanistan. His time in the military led the F&I product provider to develop the principles on which the company operates today, including valuing people over profit and work-life balance.

“‘Being able to found this company while serving our country and the fact that Alpha now has two managers that have received the Patriot Award is an honor for our company,” said Rosenvall. “Not only does it speak to the character of our employees, but also that we are staying true to our mission statement and values as a company from the top down.”