(Image courtesy of Francis Marion University)

FMU Earns 2025-2026 Military Friendly School Designation

Francis Marion University in Florence, South Carolina, has once again been recognized as a Military Friendly School because of its work with military veterans, service members, and their dependents.

The Military Friendly School designation is awarded as a result of public data sources and a nationwide survey measuring how welcoming academic institutions are to veterans and their families.

Over 1,800 schools participated in the 2025-2026 survey.

The 2025-2026 Military Friendly Schools list will be published in the May and October issues of G.I. Jobs magazine and can be found at www.militaryfriendly.com.

The Military Friendly ratings program was started in 2003 as an advocacy vehicle to encourage civilian organizations to invest in programs to recruit, retain and advance veterans as employees, entrepreneurs, and students.

The list of colleges and universities is created each year based on extensive research using public data sources from more than 8,800 schools nationwide, input from student veterans, and responses to the proprietary, data-driven Military Friendly Schools survey from participating institutions.

An institution’s ranking is determined by three factors: available public data, proprietary data from Military Friendly’s survey provided by the institution, and information from veteran surveys attending the school.

Public data obtained for the survey comes from the Departments of Education, Veterans Affairs and Defense.

Supplementing public data is provided by participating colleges and universities pertaining to six categories: academic policies and compliance, admissions, and orientation, cultural and commitment, financial aid and loan repayment, graduation and career outcomes, and military student support and retention.

 

Spartanburg, South Carolina-based Mobile Communications America, Inc., a security integration and critical communications provider focused on solutions that enhance workplace safety, security, and efficiency, announced the acquisition of Presidio, Inc.'s Physical Security Integration business.

Financial terms weren’t disclosed.

Officials said the strategic acquisition underscores MCA's commitment to providing innovative, customizable security solutions to its clients. 

Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, with additional offices in Grand Rapids and Ferndale, Michigan, as well as Dublin, Ohio, PhySec specializes in delivering custom-designed security systems to key industries, including educational institutions, healthcare facilities, universities, and industrial organizations across the Midwest and U.S.

In addition to being the largest Motorola partner in the U.S., MCA has strategic partnerships with over 1,000 major manufacturers to offer an extensive portfolio of products and technologies.

 

AFL, a manufacturer of fiber optic cable, equipment, accessories and related services has expanded its multi-year partnership with the Greenville Drive, a South Atlantic League affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.

The continued collaboration comes as the Drive celebrates its 20th season milestone at Fluor Field in downtown Greenville, South Carolina.  

Under the expanded partnership, AFL will be the exclusive sponsor of the "sEATz" mobile ordering app, which officials said will enhance the fan experience by enabling convenient in-seat food and beverage ordering throughout Fluor Field. 

AFL will continue as the presenting sponsor of The Champions Club, Fluor Field's premier hospitality venue.

"Baseball brings people together, and that spirit of community is at the heart of everything we do at AFL," said Jaxon Lang, president and CEO of AFL. "By deepening our partnership with the Drive, we're not just supporting the team, we're investing in the fan experiences that strengthen our commitment to the communities where our associates work and live."

The partnership between the Drive and AFL is a 360-degree, fully integrated and strategic collaboration designed to assist with community visibility, brand connection, employee engagement, recruiting and more.

Headlined by the naming rights of the AFL Champions Club, the alliance leverages multiple inventory assets and touchpoints.

"Our partnership with AFL has always been about telling the AFL story to our community in the most impactful, engaging way possible,” said Greenville Drive President Jeff Brown. "Now with the addition of the AFL-powered sEATz platform to our partnership, AFL will also help us impact and enhance the fan experience throughout the ballpark.”

Brown added, “We couldn’t be more thankful to AFL for their long-term support, and excited for our fans – especially as we prepare for our 20th anniversary in the community.”

 

After a solid fourth quarter, labor demand is showing additional signs of moderating in the early innings of 2025, according to Wells Fargo economists.

They said job openings slipped to 7.57 million in February and the ratio of job openings to unemployed workers fell back to 1.07 - its lowest since September 2024.

With renewed headwinds to growth, further declines in vacancies risk signaling outright weakness rather than a return to a balanced labor market, the economists said.

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) program of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) produces monthly and annual estimates of job openings, hires, and separations for the nation.

 

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