Despite employing 11,000 people across 21 countries, infrastructure manufacturer Valmont Industries faced a visibility problem: much of its work powering cities and supporting global food systems was invisible to prospective talent. Valmont was “hiding in plain sight,” which was hindering recruitment and internal pride, particularly in scarce frontline manufacturing roles where the essential nature of the work went unrecognized. Manufacturing workers crave pride, progression, and respect but Valmont’s corporate language focused on products.
To address this, Valmont partnered with branding agency WMH&I to develop “Calling All Heroes,” a new employer brand campaign designed to reposition manufacturing work as purposeful, essential, and pride-worthy. WMH&I’s strategy was to shift the narrative from “jobs{ to “legacy.” The strategy — “We build what matters” — reframed manufacturing as a meaningful career where employees build a future and a life, not just infrastructure.
The campaign places previously invisible roles front and center with “heroic callings” that power cities and feed the world, tapping into pride and Valmont’s role in keeping the American dream alive. The result is a platform that restores value and helps workers see their work truly matters.
This campaign directly connects daily tasks to vital societal outcomes. Visually, it places employees at the center of the extraordinary contexts their work enables, using grit and reality to build authenticity.
The platform transformed Valmont from invisible to indispensable. By replacing corporate jargon with human meaning, it restored value and built internal pride, encouraging candidates to build a legacy rather than just take a job.
Says James Flint, Design Director, WMH&I, “With ‘Calling All Heroes,’ we wanted to elevate the meaningful work that happens in the manufacturing industry every day. Using superhero archetypes and bold visual storytelling, we delivered a campaign that instills pride and places these essential frontline roles at the center of Valmont’s story.”
