For the third consecutive year, Progress Energy has been named to G.I. Jobs magazine's top 50 military-friendly employers.

The company was ranked No. 26 in the latest survey, up from No. 39 in 2007.

G.I. Jobs selects its top-50 list from approximately 2,500 companies with annual revenues of at least $1 billion. Companies are evaluated on their military hiring practices, Reserve and Guard policies, veteran training programs and on their rankings from previous years.

With six major military installations in the company's service area -- including nearby Fort Bragg -- Progress Energy has a long-standing relationship with the armed forces, a news release said. The company employs a dedicated recruiter responsible for sourcing military personnel and has contracted with military veterans to assist in the company's recruiting efforts. During 2008, Progress Energy participated in 23 military transition classes, job fairs, and pre-retirement sessions to recruit skilled military personnel.

Each year, as many as 350,000 personnel and their spouses leave the military and enter the civilian work force. These professionals are exceptionally trained, accustomed to working in teams, have leadership skills and have experience well-suited to the electric utility industry.

"Our military veterans exemplify teamwork and high performance," said Anne Huffman, vice president for human resources at Progress Energy. "We recognize the valuable contributions they can make to our company."

The top-50 military-friendly employers' list appeared in the December issue of G.I. Jobs.

Progress Energy, headquartered in Raleigh, is a Fortune 250 energy company with more than 21,000 megawatts of generation capacity and $9 billion in annual revenues. The company celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2008. Progress Energy includes two major utilities that serve 3.1 million customers in the Carolinas and Florida.