(BLACK PR WIRE) (January 21, 2009) LAS VEGAS (International Builders Show) – In yet another show of support for the nation’s military, Sears Holdings today announced an alliance for the Craftsman tool brand with Helmets to Hardhats. A nonprofit organization created by the Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO, construction industry employers and trade associations, Helmets to Hardhats helps veterans successfully transition into family-supporting careers in the civilian sector. Helmets to Hardhats connects National Guard, Reserve, retired and transitioning active-duty military members with quality career training and employment opportunities within the construction industry. 

Under the agreement, veterans who register with Helmets to Hardhats (www.helmetstohardhats.org) and are placed as an apprentice or journeyperson, will receive a $50 Craftsman gift card toward the purchase of $100 or more in Craftsman tools in recognition for their service and to help them purchase their initial set of tools for their new trade. 

“Few people will deny the value of military service, either in terms of its necessity to secure the American way of life or as an institution that teaches young people self-discipline, self-respect and the value of teamwork. However, there is often a disconnect between public recognition of the value of military service and what our society is willing to provide our soldiers once they have completed their tour of duty and seek to successfully reintegrate into civilian life,” said Darrell Roberts, Executive Director of Helmets to Hardhats. “One promising pathway for military servicemembers struggling to secure family-supporting wages and benefits in the civilian sector is a career in the Building Trades. The Building Trades and their employer organizations offer the best training and career opportunities in the construction industry and they are committed to helping those who sacrificed so much for our country. We commend Sears for helping our servicemen and women acquire the tools they need as they start a new career.” 

“Military veterans represent a resource for highly skilled talent. They are a highly trainable, which makes them ideal for Building Trades’ apprenticeship programs,” said Tom Aiello, vice president of public relations for Sears Holdings, and himself a West Point graduate. “Also, veterans’ strong leadership skills can fill critical shortages for foremen and site managers in the construction industry. Sears is pleased to extend its support for the military. In 2008, Sears helped to rebuild or renovate more than 200 homes of military families by raising more than $5 million through the Heroes at Home program for Rebuilding Together. Today, we’re helping veterans lay the foundation for a solid career in the building trades.”
Sears and Helmets to Hardhats will promote the alliance, through marketing vehicles such as craftsman.com, the Craftsman Club newsletter and through the Helmets to Hardhats e-Newsletters, which reach 14,000 military and veteran subscribers.

About Sears Holdings Corporation
Sears Holdings Corporation (Nasdaq: SHLD) is the nation's fourth largest broadline retailer with over $50 billion in annual revenues and approximately 3,800 full-line and specialty retail stores in the United States and Canada. Sears Holdings is the leading home appliance retailer as well as a leader in tools, lawn and garden, home electronics and automotive repair and maintenance. Key proprietary brands include Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard, and a broad apparel offering, including such well-known labels as Lands' End, Jaclyn Smith and Joe Boxer, as well as the Apostrophe and Covington brands. It also has Martha Stewart Everyday products, which are offered exclusively in the U.S. by Kmart and in Canada by Sears Canada. The company is the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 13 million service calls made annually. For more information, please visit Sears Holdings' website at http://www.searsholdings.com.

For more information about how Sears supports the military, visit http://www.searsholdings.com/communityrelations/hero/military.htm

About Helmets to Hardhats

The Helmets to Hardhats program helps servicemembers and military veterans put their training to work as they transition to careers in the building and construction industry. Launched in January 2003 with funding from the Defense Department, Helmets to Hardhats provides an important link for veterans and soon-to-be veterans to 15 building and construction trade unions, construction industry employers and their joint apprenticeship programs. The program is administered by the Center for Military Recruitment, Assessment, and Veterans Employment (CMRAVE) a joint labor management committee created by the Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO, and construction industry employer associations.

The principle building trade unions and employer associations involved in the oversight and direction of the Helmets to Hardhats program are as follows:

Trade Unions

The International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers
The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers
The International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers
The United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America
The Operative Plasterers' and Cement Masons' International Association of the United States and Canada The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
The International Union of Elevator Constructors
The International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers
The Laborers' International Union of North America
The International Union of Operating Engineers
The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades
The United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada
The United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied WorkersSheet Metal Workers' International Association
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Trade Associations
International Council of Employers of Bricklayers & Allied CraftworkerCollectively, these organizations represent three million construction workers and about 82,000 contractors nationwide.

For more information about Helmets to Hardhats, visit www.helmetstohardhats.org.