Ronald and Lea Eppich
Mohawk hosted a departure ceremony before the Eppich’s left Calhoun. Several community leaders attended, and the drivers received a police escort to the Alabama state line.
December 13, 2019
For Ronald and Lea Eppich, Wreaths Across America is personal.
The Eppichs, who are Mohawk OTR drivers, know firsthand how much it means to the families of fallen soldiers when a wreath is placed at their graves each year. Their son, Sgt. Robert Eppich, died in 2006, just days after completing eight years of service with the United States Army.
“For me, Wreaths Across America has always been about honoring Robert and his fellow soldiers,” Lea Eppich said. “It’s important to me, because this is the time of year we miss him most.”
Wreaths Across America is a non-profit organization that coordinates the annual transport, delivery and placement of more than two million wreaths on the graves of U.S. veterans across the world.
While the Eppichs are long-term personal volunteers for Wreaths Across America, Mohawk has committed to corporate support for the first time this year. The Eppichs are two of the five company truck drivers transporting 5,337 wreaths on behalf of Mohawk to the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery on a route selected by Wreaths Across America. The Eppichs will also have the honor of laying wreaths at the cemetery on Dec. 14 for Wreaths Across America Day.
“One in five Mohawk truck drivers is a veteran,” said Cameron Taylor, Sr. Manager of Fleet Operations. “We’re proud of their service, and we’re proud of the contributions they make to our business every single day. We felt like this was a perfect opportunity to honor our Mohawk veterans and share our deepest appreciation for men and women who gave their lives serving our country.”
Mohawk covered the cost for company drivers to pick up and deliver the load of wreaths to their final destination. Drivers Seth Pippin and Todd Miles, who is a veteran, drove the company’s specially-wrapped trailer roundtrip from Calhoun, Ga. to pick up wreaths in Columbia Falls, Maine. After a truck departure ceremony in Calhoun on December 12, the Eppichs transported the wreaths to Texas where Stanley Clay, a Sunnyvale local driver and veteran, will deliver them to the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery.
“Mohawk is proud to support causes that mean a great deal to our people and our communities,” Taylor said. “Our teams do that in a lot of different ways – and this is one that’s incredibly special to our drivers. We’re glad we could be a part of this program that honors our veterans and their families.”
In addition to employing many veterans across the country, Mohawk has been a leading supporter of Building for America’s Bravest, providing flooring for new homes for our nation’s most seriously wounded veterans.