Gov. Jay Inslee paid a visit to Orion’s Auburn location on Wednesday, touring its operations while hearing about the company’s mission of providing training opportunities to those who have barriers to employment.

Inslee was able to learn more about Orion’s impact on the community and how it contributes to the state’s economy.

Orion is an award-winning social enterprise with a mission of helping those with obstacles to employment, such as learning disabilities, low-income and mental health challenges. Orion uses operations in its aerospace manufacturing division and its Contact Center Services division as platforms to teach people job skills through a combination of classroom instruction and paid training, including mentoring and internship programs.

Orion is a leader in the manufacturing, painting and finishing of precision metal fabrication parts and in the production of wire harness/cable assemblies for the aerospace and defense industries.

Every day, Orion sees the impact of helping program participants achieve the independence and esteem that goes along with learning life-long skills in a trade or vocation. Orion calculates the annual financial impact of its services on the community by calculating the difference between support payments received by Orion program participants prior to entering its program and the wages and benefits they earn as taxpayers after gaining community employment. In the last three years, the combined community impact of Orion’s services was more than $11 million, Orion estimated.

To learn more, visit orionworks.org.