For those who serve

The Washington Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), an agency of the Department of Defense (DOD), honored Jim Sinegal, President and CEO, with a Patriot Award in recognition of Costco’s extraordinary support of its employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve.

“The Patriot Award was created by ESGR to publicly recognize individuals who provide outstanding patriotic support and cooperation to their employees, who like the citizen warriors before them, answer their nation’s call to serve,” says Dennis Newell, senior marketing consultant for Costco's national membership department, and ESGR Washington State representative. Jim was nominated for the award by Master Sergeant Juan Dominquez, an employee at the Marysville, Washington location, who is currently serving in Iraq.

Dennis, whose son is a captain in the National Guard and is also serving in Iraq, was contacted by the DOD and asked if he would be the State of Washington’s representative for ESRG, the agencies employer outreach program. For the past five years he has served in the position, and has framed and presented approximately 35 Patriot Awards to Washington executives in recognition of their firms' support for the Guard and Reserve.

In addition to receiving the Patriot Award, Jim also signed a DOD Statement of Support, which reiterates Costco’s commitment to its employees who serve. The same statement is presently being distributed to all U.S. warehouse managers for their signatures, and those certificates will be displayed in each of our warehouses throughout the country.