Atlanta—Georgia Industries for the Blind (GIB) recently received the Employment Retention/Growth/Upward Mobility Award from the National Industries for the Blind (NIB).

The award is for GIB’s commitment to increase employment and economic opportunities for those who are blind, said state Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond in a news release.

GIB, which is operated by the Georgia Department of Labor, has added 20 new workers at its manufacturing plant in Albany. That has increased, by 7.2 percent, its total number of hours worked in the past year at its three plants in Albany, Bainbridge and Griffin.

“This is the third time that GIB has won this national award, twice in the last three years, for its efforts to provide more jobs for workers who are visually impaired,” Thurmond said. “It’s symbolic of the Georgia Department of Labor’s on-going commitment to increase employment and economic opportunities for people with disabilities.”

GIB is a local non-profit agency that employs more than 200 workers at its three plants. More than 100 of those workers are blind. Yet, they produce high-quality products that include pillows, file folders, binders, card guides, packaged flatware, safety vests, bags and screen printing.