Helping Hands of MMC
MMC Land Management is celebrating our 15th anniversary this year. As you can imagine, throughout the years, the business has continued to grow, and we are extremely thankful! However, keeping up with all our new clients has not been an easy task. Our people are our greatest asset when achieving our goals, and we employ local as well as abroad through the H-2B program.
The H-2B visa non-immigrant program permits employers to hire foreign workers to come temporarily to the United States and perform temporary non-agricultural services or labor on a one-time, seasonal, peak load or intermittent basis. These workers come from a wide variety of countries, including but not limited to Mexico, The Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Jamaica, and South Africa.
Francine Mills has worked at MMC Land Management for the past two years as the HR/Safety Manager. It is her responsibility to ensure that all foreign workers hold the correct documentation to participate in the program. She explains how much she appreciates having them as seasonal employees. “Our visa workers have an incredible work ethic that complements our permanent workforce. They are polite, humble, and always have a great attitude and outlook. We are incredibly thankful for their hard work; their presence makes a positive impact on everyone at MMC”, says Francine.
Sonia Lara is the HR/Payroll Administrator and is the only employee fluent in both English and Spanish, as she is originally from the Dominican Republic. All our H-2B workers are extremely thankful that we have someone like Sonia who shares a cultural similarity. “It is so easy to build relationships with them because they are always very grateful for the help I can provide to them… we joke and laugh together, and that just sets a positive tone to the rest of my day”, says Sonia.
It is a common theme among many of the H-2B workers to apply year after year for this program. Why, you ask? They share that they want to work to provide for their families, specifically providing a better life for their children, since the pay they receive working with MMC is substantially greater in comparison to what they earn in their home country. Sonia says, “One of them shared with me he looks forward to working here at MMC every season because he is closer to achieving his dream of getting his own place and starting a family. That’s proof MMC improves these workers’ lives”.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion within the green industry is critical to move forward. We recognize that new ideas can only be generated by having a variety of different perspectives. That is why one of our values at MMC is achieving growth by empowering our people to act innovatively, while investing in our people as our greatest asset.
