Arizona business opens doors for employees with criminal records
Gilbert company gives formerly incarcerated a second chance
Awake Window & Door is making a difference by giving individuals with criminal records a fair chance at employment and career growth.
GILBERT, Ariz. - An Arizona-based company isn't just building doors, but also opening them for formerly incarcerated people looking for a second chance.
Local perspective:
Jessica Coz loves her job at Awake Window & Door Company in Gilbert.
"Being able to provide for myself, provide for my family, and put forward effort to help other people is exactly where I wanted to be," Coz said.
It is a place that just a short time ago felt out of reach when Jessica re-entered society after 15 years of incarceration.
"When I came home, I didn't know what to make of the world. It was really challenging. I had plans but all of my plans, as soon as I stepped out of the gate, went out of the window," Coz said. "There was one point where I thought I might not have anywhere to live."
The Mission:
She eventually got hired at Awake, whose mission is not just building luxury doors, but also opening them for people looking for a second chance.
"We didn't want a business that just made a profit, we wanted something that actually made a difference in the world," said Scott Gates, co-founder and CEO of Awake Window & Door.
Building Opportunity:
The company intentionally hires people who may get overlooked because of a criminal record.
"We realized that if these people don't find jobs, then they can't actually become productive citizens, and we wanted to build a business that was focused across all facets of the organization on giving those people a fair chance," Gates said.
By the numbers:
The business is expected to do 40 million in revenue this year with plans to expand to a new facility. More than half of the company's 110 employees have a history in the criminal justice system.
"There's risk in any hiring, right? But what you're missing by putting a bias against someone with a record, is this pool of talent of people who are incredibly hardworking, incredibly motivated," Gates said.
Dig deeper:
This is true for employees like Jessica, who since getting hired, has been promoted multiple times, finding more than just a job and paycheck.
"This has become my home. This has become a place where I want to continue to grow, continue to talk about the social mission, continue to do whatever I possibly can do to help the company grow. I'm very grateful," Coz said.
The Tools for Success:
The company focuses on giving the employees the tools they need to succeed.
"Gratitude is a contagious value and they have it in spades. And it makes for a productive, enjoyable work environment that makes our culture really special," Gates said.
Big picture view:
They are also hoping more companies do the same.
"No one would want to be judged on their worst moment. So if you actually just open up and have a conversation. You'll see people are hungry and ready for an opportunity, and they'll show up for you and work so hard," Coz said.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Jessica Coz, storeroom coordinator and mentor at Awake Windows and Doors; Scott Gates, co-founder and CEO of Awake Windows and Doors; and Annalisa Pardo, reporter for FOX 10 News.