Vermeer MidSouth in Richland will be recognized with Hinds Community College’s Alumni Service Award at annual Homecoming festivities on Oct. 24.
Vermeer MidSouth and Hinds Community College have a mutually beneficial relationship.
Vermeer MidSouth benefits from the trained workers Hinds provides; the company and the Vander Molen family show appreciation to Hinds in a myriad of ways, from beginning a new family scholarship in 2023, serving on a college advisory committee and participating with two teams in the annual Golf Fun Fest, for starters.
“I think it’s a multi-faceted partnership, obviously focused around technicians and workforce,” said Vermeer MidSouth General Manager Corey Vander Molen.
“But whether it’s the golf tournament that supports the Foundation, whether it’s the scholarship that supports specific students or even as simple as helping do some maintenance at the golf course at Eagle Ridge – we have a lot of pieces to the relationship between Vermeer MidSouth and Hinds Community College.”
At the forefront is his dad, Dennis Vander Molen, Vermeer MidSouth president, who has been with Vermeer since 1973 and a distributor since 1987. Based in a new facility in Richland, Vermeer MidSouth sells and maintains specialized construction equipment such wood chippers, stump grinders, trenchers and directional boring machines in the four-state area of Mississippi, Arkansas, West Tennessee and North Louisiana.
Vermeer MidSouth has had a relationship with Hinds for many years but about six or seven years ago it intensified as the need for trained technicians became more apparent, said Dennis Vander Molen.
“The Diesel Academy has been a very important strategic step for us. We take the students from there as a very important step to have a successful service business here. We love the relationship that we have with the instructors at Hinds and also the leadership there.”
Lifecyle Manager Jonathan Donahoe received an Associate degree from Hinds in 1999 and immediately went to work for Vermeer MidSouth. He has personally hired six technicians from Hinds who have worked there from two years to 10 years. “The Hinds Diesel program has really changed the culture here,” he said. “The experience with the techs that I have brought here has been phenomenal. The relationship we have with Hinds is great.”
One of the ways the partnership works both ways is the need for Vermeer MidSouth to have a place to test out equipment repairs, and the need for Eagle Ridge Golf Course to be rid of unsightly stumps resulting from dead trees that were cut down.
“We’ll put that machine on the back of a truck and we’ll head to Eagle Ridge. We’ll go grind a few stumps. We have a place to go to do that and perform a good service for the school,” Dennis Vander Molen said. “If Hinds has a particular need, we’re glad to help them with that.”
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Hinds Community College will honor three Alumni award winners and five Sports Hall of Fame inductees at the annual Homecoming festivities.
Public activities begin on Tuesday, Oct. 22 with the 50+ reunion and luncheon at 10 a.m. The reunion, at Fountain Hall on the Raymond Campus, honors the class of 1974 and all prior high school and college classes.
The Alumni recognition event is at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24 at Cain-Cochran Hall on the Raymond Campus. The event honors Alumnus of the Year Dr. Jay Allen of Fulton, formerly of Raymond, Young Alumnus of the Year Landon Corkren of Jonesboro, Ark., formerly of Raymond, and Alumni Service Award recipient Vermeer MidSouth in Richland.
Also being honored are the 2024 Sports Hall of Fame Inductees Kelli East Dyess of Madison, Nic Henderson of New Orleans, Dot Easterwood Murphy of Raymond, Michael Myers of Oak Point, Texas, and Mark Smith of Madison.
The Homecoming game against Pearl River Community College will be played at 7 p.m. at Gene Murphy Field at Joe Renfroe Stadium on the Raymond Campus. The Homecoming Court and the award recipients will be presented. Performances include the Hinds Marching Band, Colorguard and Hi-Steppers with special performances by alumni from the Hi-Steppers, band and Colorguard.