Hale Hughes named Dickies American Worker of the Year

03 Nov '08

4 min read

Williamson-Dickie Mfg. Co, makers of Dickies, the leading global work wear brand, proudly announced Hale Hughes, an oilfield roughneck and safety manager, as 2008 American Worker of the Year during intermission at the Professional Bull Riders World Finals in Las Vegas.

As Worker of the Year, Hughes will receive a 2009 Ford F-150, a Yamaha Rhino premium four-wheeler and a regional Dickies gift certificate, and he'll also be a VIP guest at the Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. At the Dickies 500, Hughes will have a chance to take home $1 million if the Sprint Cup car he randomly chooses at a Dickies 500 press conference on November 1 goes on to win the Dickies 500 the next day. Of note, the American Worker of the Year potential million dollar prize is more than the winner of the race takes home!

"We are excited and honored to call Hale Hughes our 2008 American Worker of the Year. He embodies the type of worker Dickies is proud to stand behind," said Misty Otto, public relations director for Dickies. "We just hope Hale keeps up his winning streak and takes home the $1 million grand prize from the Dickies 500."

Hughes is a true model of the ideal American worker, possessing the drive, ambition and genuine charm necessary to lead and be a mentor. However, Hughes road hasn't been an easy one; he's endured many personal hardships, from his wife's bout with cancer to his own simultaneous harrowing accident that left him with a broken back. But through everything, Hughes optimism and work ethic have been unwavering and he is an inspiration to all.

Since his start with Unit Drilling in 2003, Hughes has worked his way up from roughneck to safety manager - one of 12 in a company of more than 3000 employees. Each day at work, Hughes strives to guide, inspire and educate those around him, and he proudly displays his commitment to his job and company with his extensive collection of 115 oilfield patches on his trusty Dickies jacket, a piece of clothing that has carried him through his entire career.

"I am overwhelmed with excitement right now; it's such an honor to receive this type of award from a company like Dickies. I'm privileged to represent roughnecks and validate that our job is every bit as tough as we think, and Dickies recognizes that," said Hughes, a Woodville, Texas resident. "I want to tell everyone their hard work is worth it, and to keep your nose to the grindstone and good things will happen."

Hughes was chosen as one of the American Worker of the Year promotion's six regional finalists on Aug. 15, out of thousands of applicants. The regional finalists all had the opportunity to travel to the PBR World Finals for the grand prize winner announcement where they bonded over similar life experiences, and each also received a Yamaha four-wheeler and a regional Dickies gift certificate.

For the past 16 years Dickies has been tipping its hat to hard-working men and women with their American Worker of the Year contest. This contest is special because each finalist honored is an exceptional worker in fields often overlooked in today's society - farmers, builders, mechanics, teachers, electrical linemen and soldiers, among others.

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