American OEM Partnering with Gary Sinise Foundation’s R.I.S.E.

Burns, TN, September 27, 2016—American OEM Wood Floors is collaborating with the Gary Sinise Foundation’s R.I.S.E. (Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment) program to provide American-made hardwood flooring for two one-of-a-kind, specially adapted smart homes designed and built for severely wounded veterans in Tennessee.

American OEM is one of several U.S.-based hardwood flooring manufacturers participating in the R.I.S.E. program partnership, which was facilitated through the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA). Through the collaboration, American OEM will donate flooring made in America, from North American hardwood, to two homes constructed for veterans in and around the region surrounding the company’s Tennessee-based headquarters.

American OEM kicked off the collaboration in July with an Independence Day celebration at its manufacturing facilities near Burns, Tennessee. The celebration included a keynote address by Christian Brown, the first veteran to receive a R.I.S.E. home with American OEM flooring.

Brown toured the manufacturing facility located within the Turney Center Industrial Complex, then addressed inmates who participate in the American OEM’s Prison Industry Enterprise program. The voluntary program allows qualified inmates to earn a competitive living wage, which is then apportioned by the State of Tennessee to help individuals pay victims’ restitution, family and child support, and room and board, plus contribute to personal savings. The American OEM program also helps prepare inmates for a return to civilian life by equipping them with vital work skills—significantly reducing recidivism rates in the process.