Contact
Nicole Ducouer, IFB Solutions Senior Director of Corporate Communications and Programs
336-685-2393 | nducouer@ifbsolutions.org

 

IFB Solutions Earns 13th National Employment Growth Award

WINSTON-SALEM, NC (Jan. 28, 2019) – Local nonprofit IFB Solutions was honored with the 2018 Employment Growth Award for its efforts to increase employment retention, growth and upward mobility for people who are blind. This is IFB’s 13^th award, which is presented by National Industries for the Blind (NIB) to recognize agencies who are increasing employment and economic opportunities for people who are blind or visually impaired.

In 2018, IFB added 63 jobs for people who are blind and promoted eight individuals from direct labor to indirect labor positions. Across its three locations in Winston-Salem, N.C., Asheville, N.C., and Little Rock, Ark., IFB employs nearly 500 people who are blind or visually impaired making it the largest employer of people who are blind or visually impaired in the country.

“IFB Solutions plays a vital role in drawing people to this area,” said David Horton, IFB Solutions President, and CEO. “Many of our 63 new hires were individuals who relocated to Winston-Salem because they could not find jobs in their own communities. And for nearly one-third of our total workforce, IFB is their first job opportunity. We cannot emphasize enough the importance that these jobs play in changing the lives of people who are blind or visually impaired.”

Anastasia Powell, IFB’s Adult Program Coordinator, knows firsthand the transformative impact of a job with IFB, and her subsequent promotion through the Upward Mobility program. “Fourteen years ago, as a blind, single mother, I needed a way to support my kids. IFB Solutions not only opened their arms and gave me a job, but they also invited me to take part in the Upward Mobility program which encourages personal and professional growth,” she said. “I went from sewing machine operator to manager of programs. Now I give back to the community that accepted me from the start. I feel whole again and can take care of my children and that means the world to me.”

According to NIB, 70 percent of working-age Americans who are blind are not employed. The success of agencies like IFB Solutions in creating and sustaining employment opportunities for people who are blind is key to changing this statistic.

“IFB Solutions is doing an outstanding job of creating U.S.-based career opportunities for people who are blind,” said NIB President and CEO Kevin Lynch. “This is a great example of the unlimited capabilities of people who are blind working across the country.”

IFB Solutions’ local footprint in Winston-Salem includes large-scale manufacturing operations, a comprehensive optical lab, Community Low Vision Center and Tracy’s Little Red Schoolhouse which houses its SEE (Student Enrichment Experience) programs for children in grades K-12.

“Our mission is to provide opportunities for people who are blind or visually impaired in need of training, employment, and services,” said Horton. “Everything we do is guided by our belief that all people who are blind or visually impaired have the right to succeed in every area of life.”

 

About IFB Solutions (IFB)

IFB Solutions is a nonprofit corporation founded in 1936 that provides employment, training, and services for people who are blind or visually impaired. As the largest employer of people who are blind in the United States, IFB operates manufacturing facilities in Winston-Salem, N.C., Asheville, N.C., and Little Rock, Ark., in addition to more than 40 office supply stores and optical centers across the country. IFB Solutions funds employee training and services as well as community programs through grants and private donations, making possible the Community Low Vision Centers across North Carolina and in Little Rock, Ark., and Tracy’s Little Red Schoolhouse based in Winston-Salem. www.ifbsolutions.org

IFB President & CEO David Horton Responds to U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Decision (10/17/18)

Contact
Nicole Ducouer, IFB Solutions Director of Corporate Communications
336-245-5615 | nducouer@ifbsolutions.org

Background
Since 2016, IFB Solutions has been involved in litigation alongside the U.S. Government to protect jobs for people who are blind. The case centers around whether veteran-owned small businesses should receive priority for contracts with the Department of Veterans Affairs over AbilityOne nonprofits like IFB Solutions who employ people who are blind. Today, we received a ruling on our appeal filed in Federal Claims court that upheld a lower court decision to rule in favor of veteran-owned small businesses.

IFB Solutions President & CEO David Horton Statement
IFB Solutions remains 100% committed to our mission of creating life-changing jobs and opportunities for people who are blind.

As we have said before, we believe strongly in protecting jobs for people who are blind and we will fight this decision all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary. 

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month — a time when we focus on growing awareness of the extraordinary employment challenges faced by people who are blind. Seventy percent of working-age adults are not employed, and it is paramount that AbilityOne agencies like IFB Solutions continue our work as defined by the Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act of 1938 with the specific intent of creating employment opportunities for those who are blind or with severe disabilities.

Today’s court decision underscores the importance and absolute necessity of awareness and advocacy on behalf of people who are blind seeking the chance to have a job of their choice. 

Right now, we are weighing our options to decide our next steps.

A special exhibit by local photographer Bowman Gray will be on display at the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) from Oct. 18 to Nov. 4 celebrating the stories of five local employees from IFB Solutions, the largest employer of people who are blind or visually impaired in the country. Each person’s portrait will be accompanied by a thermally generated tactile print that enables visitors to both see and touch the work. SECCA donated the time and technology to translate Gray’s photography into a tactile print that brings the image to life without the need for sight.

An opening reception for the exhibition will be held on Thursday, Oct. 18 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at SECCA, which is located at 750 Marguerite Drive in Winston-Salem. The reception is free open to the public.

“I was drawn to the challenge of taking what is a highly visual medium—photography—and making it accessible for people who are blind,” said Gray. “The portraits also capture each person doing what they love outside of work as an expression of independence that breaks many of the stereotypes of what it means to be blind.”

The employees featured in the portraits are Chris Flynt, director of Programs and Services, working on his farm; Charity Hampton, music instructor at Tracy’s Little Red Schoolhouse, singing a favorite Broadway tune; Faith Harding, inside sales for Base Supply Center operations, practicing yoga in her journey to become a certified instructor; Pablo Morales, assistive technology coordinator, demonstrating martial arts; and Dennis Rothfuss, RABU sewing operator, using a magnifying device to complete a woodworking project.

“We are excited to host an exhibit that celebrates inspiring stories of people from our community in such a unique and innovative way,” said Deborah Randolph, curator of education for SECCA. “It’s a wonderful collaboration with IFB and Bowman to use our thermal printing technology and make art accessible to people without sight.”

The dates of the exhibit were chosen by IFB to mark National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) in October. “We are very grateful to SECCA and Bowman for donating their time and talents to make this innovative exhibit a reality during a month when we want to both celebrate the accomplishments of our employees and also raise awareness for the many challenges people who are blind still face in finding jobs,” said David Horton, CEO of IFB Solutions. “Although our national unemployment rate is now below 5 percent, the rate for someone who is blind is an astounding 70 percent. We’ve got to do more to grow job opportunities because there is so much potential for individuals who are blind in the workforce and in the community.”

About IFB Solutions (IFB)

IFB Solutions is a nonprofit corporation founded in 1936 that provides employment, training and services for people who are blind or visually impaired. As the largest employer of people who are blind in the United States, IFB operates manufacturing facilities in Winston-Salem, N.C., Asheville, N.C., and Little Rock, Ark., in addition to more than 40 office supply stores and optical centers across the country. IFB Solutions funds employee training and services as well as community programs through grants and private donations, making possible the Community Low Vision Centers across North Carolina and in Little Rock, Ark., and Tracy’s Little Red Schoolhouse based in Winston-Salem. ifbsolutions.org

About SECCA

The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) is a creative leader of the arts in the Southeast, a museum boldly giving artists of the region a platform for visibility while connecting local communities with the international world of contemporary art. Located at 750 Marguerite Drive, the museum is open Tuesday through Sunday. For hours, please visit secca.org. SECCA is an affiliate of the North Carolina Museum of Art, a division of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources. SECCA receives operational funding from The Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County. Additional funding is provided by the James G. Hanes Memorial Fund.

 About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state’s natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. Led by Secretary Susi H. Hamilton, NCDNCR’s mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state’s history, conserving the state’s natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development. NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, two science museums, three aquariums and Jennette’s Pier, 39 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C. Zoo, the nation’s first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, State Preservation Office and the Office of State Archaeology, along with the Division of Land and Water Stewardship. For more information, please call (919) 807-7300 or visit ncdcr.gov

Rep. Virginia Foxx visits IFB Solutions, advocates for breaking down barriers to employment for people who are blind.

In her role as chair of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Rep. Foxx is a leader in breaking down barriers that prevent workers from succeeding, including those who are blind or visually impaired.  She is meeting with executives and employees at IFB Solutions to learn how individuals who are blind are kept out of the workforce because of guidance provided by the U.S. Dept. of Education.

According to IFB Solutions, the largest employer of people who are blind in the country, the Department’s guidance associated with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act (WIOA) is keeping individuals who are blind from being referred to job opportunities at agencies like IFB because some state vocational rehabilitation agencies may not consider them to be places of competitive, integrated employment.

“Individuals who are blind should have the freedom to choose where they pursue jobs and make their own successes,” says Dan Kelly, Chief Operating Officer for IFB Solutions and who also is totally blind. “Rep. Foxx is an advocate for removing barriers for anyone seeking to enter the workforce, and we want her to meet with several of our employees who have restarted their careers after losing their vision thanks to jobs at IFB.”

Rep. Virginia Foxx will meet with IFB COO Dan Kelly and speak with several employees including Ken Mullins who recently joined as a supervisor in the IFB optical lab. Mullins spent 16 years as a plant supervisor with a FORTUNE 500 company but had to leave that role when his vision diminished.  After three years of job searching, he found IFB.

Wednesday, August 15, 2018, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (meeting & brief facility tour) Rep. Foxx will answer questions from the media at 12:15 p.m.

IFB Solutions, 7730 North Point Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27106

 

 

 

 

 IFB Solutions CEO David Horton was named one of the region’s Most Admired CEOs for 2018 by The Triad Business Journal. Horton has served as President and CEO of IFB since 2007 having started with the nonprofit organization in 2001 as Controller before being promoted to Vice President of Operations and later Executive Director.

IFB Solutions is the largest employer of individuals who are blind or visually impaired in the country, and Horton has been instrumental in more than doubling the number of IFB’s employees who are blind from 200 to more than 500. His emphasis on innovation and training has helped IFB convert positions previously held by individuals who are sighted into opportunities for people who are blind. With more than 1,000 total employees working across the organization, IFB Solutions is a $140 million operation with three manufacturing facilities in Winston-Salem, N.C., Asheville, N.C., and Little Rock, Ark., and more than 40 office supply stores and optical centers across the country.

In addition to leading IFB’s large-scale manufacturing operation, Horton has overseen the expansion of IFB’s community services, including its Community Low Vision Centers in Winston-Salem, Asheville, Durham and Little Rock, Ark., and the SEE (Student Enrichment Experience) after-school and summer camp programs for children who are blind. Many of the services offered by IFB are free or offered at a reduced charge. An example of IFB’s innovative community programs is Focus on Literacy, a program that provides assistive technology to children who are visually impaired for use at home so they can read and complete their school assignments.

“Every day, David is changing the lives of people who are blind or visually impaired,” wrote IFB Board Chair Ann Johnston in her nomination letter. “His passion behind IFB’s mission spreads to everyone he meets, and because of that, IFB Solutions has added more jobs and created more opportunities for independence for adults and children who are blind or visually impaired in our community.”

Johnston also pointed to the nonprofit’s name change in 2016 from Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind to IFB Solutions as a pivotal time. Horton and the board wanted to emphasize the organization’s multi-faceted capabilities in pursuing new contracts to create more job opportunities. All told, IFB Solutions oversees a diverse manufacturing portfolio including hundreds of office products for the federal government, eyeglasses for nearly 250,000 U.S. veterans a year, and mattresses for state schools and different branches of the military.

“What really impresses people when they walk into our building is that people who are visually impaired are making eyeglasses for our military veterans and their families,” Johnston wrote.
“IFB’s optical lab produces nearly 1,500 pairs of glasses a day, and David’s emphasis on this business has enabled us to triple the number veterans we serve, which falls in line with his passion for supporting those who serve our country. IFB also employs nearly 40 veterans, many of them blind or visually impaired.”

Outside of IFB Solutions, Horton serves as a Board Chairman of the NC Division of Services for the Blind and been elected to leadership roles for the NC State Commission for the Blind (appointed by the Governor). He currently is a board member for the National Association for Employment of People Who Are Blind (NAEPB), and also serves on various committees of National Industries for the Blind.

Howard Walker has been named manager of development and awareness at IFB Solutions of Little Rock, the nonprofit formerly known as Arkansas Lighthouse for Blind. Read the full article here.

For many of the employees at IFB Solutions in Winston-Salem, their vision involves giving back to fellow military heroes. Watch the WFMY video here.

The Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County has announced its Summer 2018 grants made through its Community Enrichment Mini-Grant program. Read the full article here.

WINSTON-SALEM, NC (Apr. 25, 2018) – IFB Solutions recently honored its employees, volunteers and vendors for their commitment to helping IFB provide jobs, training and services for people who are blind or visually impaired. IFB Solutions, a nonprofit corporation with manufacturing facilities in Winston-Salem, Asheville and Little Rock, Ark., is the nation’s largest employer of people who are blind or visually impaired, and provides a broad range of services, including its Community Low Vision Centers, Tracy’s Little Red Schoolhouse, and SEE after-school and summer camps.

Everett “EJ” Ford of Asheville was named the overall IFB Solutions Employee of the Year. A native of Kansas, EJ started at IFB’s facility in Winston-Salem in 2011 before transferring to Asheville the following year. Born blind, EJ never let his lack of sight keep him from pursuing his interests from sports to music to social media. He’s been instrumental in helping IFB convert several jobs previously limited to sighted employees into positions for people who are blind by developing new processes and training. He’s also served as chair of Asheville’s Safety Team. Outside of work, EJ is past president of the Asheville Blind Bowling League, volunteers with IFB’s SEE summer camps for children who are blind or visually impaired and hosts a YouTube channel called “Everything Blind.” EJ was honored by National Industries for the Blind during an event in Washington, D.C. on April 18 as the national Employee of the Year.

Carlo Green was named IFB Solutions Employee of the Year for the Little Rock facility. Carlo first joined the organization in 1993 and worked across several departments for 15 years before leaving and then rejoining IFB in 2016. A skilled operator, Carlo is trained on several machines for different manufacturing lines from T-shirt production to the Paper department.

Dennis Rothfuss was named IFB Solutions Employee of the Year for the Winston-Salem facility. A native of Kansas, Dennis had a busy career managing his family’s 5,000-acre farm and owning a local hotel when he began losing his sight in his early 40s. Doctors speculated the cause was surgery he had as a child, and the diagnosis radically changed Dennis’ life. At the urging of his family, Dennis moved to North Carolina to pursue broader job opportunities for individuals with vision loss. He joined IFB in 2010 as a sewing machine operator and is currently a member of the Ripstop Air Force Battle Uniform (RABU) sewing team. Having studied cabinet-making following high school, Dennis spends time outside of work crafting beautiful wooden pieces from jewelry boxes to dining room furniture.

Michael Mote of Winston-Salem was named the Milton J. Samuelson Career Achiever Award. A graduate of Jacksonville State University in Alabama, Mike grew up a sports enthusiast. He and his older brother were born blind, and their parents encouraged both boys to pursue every hobby and interest. Mike joined IFB in 2012 as a customer service representative supporting a call center contract but quickly was promoted to a new opportunity as a quality analyst that relocated him to Georgia. In 2014, IFB named Mike as an Assistive Technology Specialist supporting customer service representatives and analysts as well as other areas within IFB. In his spare time, Mike is a well-respected sports commentator and radio personality in Alabama for college football and basketball.

Bobby Billings of Winston-Salem received the Delmer Wall Outstanding Service Award. Bobby joined IFB Solutions in 2008 working as a member of the IT team. He supports the technology used by hundreds of IFB employees across multiple states working in the four manufacturing and warehouse facilities, 18 Base Supply Center locations and 20 VA optical locations. In addition to his computer-related responsibilities, Bobby is the administrator of the IFB phone system and serves as a key resource for all employees with technical issues.

Pat Bussen Smith of Little Rock, Ark., received the Kathryn W. Garner Volunteer of the Year Award for her many years of service to the IFB Solutions facility in the Little Rock community. Pat, now Professor Emeritus at the University of Arkansas in Little Rock, was a board member of the facility when it was Arkansas Lighthouse for the Blind (ALB). She was instrumental in the acquisition of ALB by IFB and served as the first Chair of the Arkansas Advisory Council. As a volunteer, Pat has helped build the Bingo for Bags fundraiser in Arkansas and also joined the IFB Solutions Board of Directors.

Miracles In Sight of Winston-Salem received the Commodore Funderburk Visionary Award. The award is named for the late Commodore Funderburk who was both blind and deaf, and who worked at IFB for 40 years without missing a day of work. Miracles In Sight, formerly known as The North Carolina Eye Bank, supports the restoration, preservation, and enhancement of sight through transplant, research, and innovation. The partnership with IFB began five years ago when Miracles In Sight, led by President and CEO Dean Vavra, donated nearly $1 million to create the Eye Care and Education Center and help fund IFB’s mobile vision center launch. In 2015, the organization donated an additional $150,000 to purchase two accessible buses for the SEE After School Program and Tracy’s Little Red Schoolhouse. Miracles In Sight also partners with IFB at the Durham Community Low Vision Center.

SP Richards Company of Atlanta, received the IFB Vendor of the Year Award. The company provides a comprehensive offering of products and services that enable IFB’s Base Supply Center (BSC) and ecommerce divisions to deliver an extensive inventory of business products. SP Richards also partners with IFB to expand sales opportunities for AbilityOne office products, many of which are produced by employees at IFB’s three manufacturing facilities. With SP Richards’ support, IFB has grown its BSC and ecommerce teams and created additional employment opportunities for individuals who are blind or visually impaired. Throughout the years, the company has been a committed philanthropic supporter of IFB’s mission and community programs.

In addition to the employee, community and vendor awards, IFB Solutions also recognized employees for years of service and perfect attendance. Nine employees were honored for more than 20 years of service including four employees with 30 or more years of service – Maudeva Willis (44 years of service), Clarence Kinard (39 years of service), Danny Johnson (36 years of service) and Roy Townsend (31 years of service).