Recession Jobs - Tracking the latest jobs

Honeywell adds 80 jobs at Clover plant

2009-07-21T10:50:00.000-07:00

Honeywell International Inc. will spend $10.5 million to expand a safety-glove plant in Clover and add 80 jobs at the facility.

The North Safety plant now employs 110. As an incentive to promote the expansion, York County has agreed to let the plant owners pay a fee in lieu of the normal, higher property taxes. The value of that inducement wasn’t immediately disclosed.

North Safety Products previously owned the plant. News that Honeywell will expand the operation is “music to our ears in Clover,” says Mayor Donnie Grice.

The expansion will come in stages. The first phase, to occur through next year, will add 30 jobs, with the company investing $4.5 million. The rest of the job growth and investment are to be completed by 2013.

As a part of the process, an additional product line will be added and 17,500 square feet will be added to the 61,000-square-foot structure.

The plant makes protective and safety gloves for firefighters, utility workers and the nuclear power industry.

Honeywell gained ownership of the plant in May 2008 when it bought Norcross Safety Products of Oak Brook, Ill., corporate parent of North Safety.

Source: Biz Journals

Nissan to create 350 jobs at Wearside factory in UK

2009-07-20T11:12:00.000-07:00

Nissan has announced that its Wearside factory will start producing batteries for electric cars, which is expected to create 350 new jobs.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said that Nissan's £200m investment "was great news for the local economy".

The plant, near Sunderland, has beaten off competition from other Nissan factories in Europe for the investment.

The move could pave the way for the production of electric vehicles at the North East plant in the near future.

"Sunderland could now be a strong contender to produce electric vehicles for Nissan in Europe, and we will continue to work with Nissan to ensure this happens," the prime minister said.

Mr Brown visited the Sunderland factory along with Business Secretary Lord Mandelson.

The BBC's Fiona Trott said that it was not clear whether the deal secured the jobs of the 4,000 people employed at the existing Nissan plant. She said 1,200 jobs had been cut earlier this year.

'Low carbon area'

Mr Mandelson said a "low-carbon economic area" would be established in the North East.

As part of the project, 750 charging points would be installed across the region and a training centre specialising in the manufacture and maintenance of low-carbon vehicles would be set up.

Nissan's £200m investment will be spread over five years and the new plant, which will make lithium-ion batteries, will also create and secure additional jobs in the related supply chain.

Nissan also announced it was setting up another battery manufacturing plant in Portugal.

Michael Steventon, head of automotive research at consultants KPMG, said that the announcement was a vote of confidence in the Nissan workforce in Sunderland.

"Batteries are only part of a vehicle but they are an expensive, logistically significant part," he said.

"It does mean that Nissan is more likely to manufacture electric vehicles in the UK than elsewhere in Europe," he added.

However, he said that if the UK wanted to really capitalise on the move toward hybrid vehicles, more investment in research and development was needed.

Assistance

The government said it was working with Nissan on supporting the investment by offering grants and loan guarantees, including support through its Automotive Assistance Programme.

Earlier this year, the government set aside £2.3bn to support the UK's ailing car industry - but nothing has yet been paid out.

"The North East has distinguished itself as the first specialised region for ultra-low-carbon vehicles," Lord Mandelson said.

"This is good news not just for the North East, but for the whole of the UK, helping to attract foreign investment and securing UK's place as a global leader in hi-tech manufacturing and automotive industries," he added.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "This is an excellent initiative. It combines active industrial policy and environmental transformation, pointing the way to the kind of economy we will need to build after the recession."

The announcement from Nissan comes only days after its Japanese rival Toyota said it would start manufacturing the new Auris hybrid petrol-electric vehicle at its plant in Burnaston, Derbyshire from mid-2010.

Source: BBC

STMicroelectronics to create 650 jobs by 2012 at Crolles R&D facility

2009-07-20T11:09:00.000-07:00

STMicroelectronics will create 650 jobs and invest $1.25bn in the Crolles R&D and wafer fab facility by 2012, according to ST's CEO, Carlo Bozotti, who added that the investment would give ST 'strategic independence'.

Bozotti was speaking at a ceremony to mark the formal launch of Nano2012 a joint R&D programme with CEA-LETI, the French Laboratory for Electronics & Information The French Minister of Economy, Industry and Employment, Christine Lagarde, said the investment was: "Strategically important since we will be keep a French production site in a sector which is absolutely crucial for us."

Nano2012 is a public/private strategic R&D program, led by ST, which gathers research institutes and industrial partners and is supported by French national, regional and local authorities.

The Nano2012 cooperation programme, with other programmes such as CATRENE, aims to provide will Europe's electronics industry with competitive access to the most advanced CMOS technologies from 32nm down to 22nm.

Work on the Nano2012 programme started on January 1, 2008. The five-year program, which will run until December 31, 2012, is partly funded to the extent of Euros 457m by the

Other partners are INRIA (the French National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control), CNRS (National centre for Scientific Research), universities, and many small- and medium-sized enterprise partners.

ST and CEA-LETI initially set up of the Crolles R&D centre in 1992, with CEA-LETI providing the interface between long-term academic research and ST's market-driven industrial R&D.

In July 2007, ST joined the semiconductor Joint Development Alliance centred at IBM's Semiconductor Research and Development centre in East Fishkill and Albany, New York, which develops core and low-power CMOS processes from 32 to 22nm, and IBM joined ST in Crolles to develop value-added application-specific derivative CMOS technologies.

CEA-LETI and IBM, which have complementary expertise in the development of materials and processes required for CMOS technology, are collaborating on advanced process R&D down to 22nm and beyond, at CEA-LETI's Grenoble site (France), IBM's East Fishkill facility (NY), ST's Crolles site (France), and at the Albany NanoTech research centre (NY).

Since the start of the Nano2012 program in January 2008, ST and IBM have exchanged researchers between their sites at Crolles and East Fishkill and have begun working along with researchers from CEA-LETI on a variety of key programs, including 32nm and 28nm core CMOS processes, 45nm RF (Radio Frequency) derivative technology for wireless applications and 65nm non-volatile-memory derivative technology for use in automotive and smart-card applications.

Nano2012 focuses on technology platform development for low-power and application-specific derivative CMOS technologies. A technology platform encompasses the manufacturing process by which billions of transistors are integrated onto a single silicon chip as well as the components libraries and the design methodology to efficiently design leading-edge circuits in this process.

Source: Electronics Weekly

Energy firm Bord na Mona to create 300 jobs

2009-07-20T11:05:00.000-07:00

Semi-state energy firm Bord na Mona has vowed to create 300 green jobs.

Announcing profits of more than 23 million euro, the company said it was aiming to halve the amount of CO2 it pumps out and turn its attention to the renewable market. Bord na Mona said 300 staff will be taken on as the company pushes ahead with new business ideas over the next five years.

Energy Minister Eamon Ryan welcomed the initiative and said it was a sign of the green economy in action. "This direction shows us that by going green, we not only benefit the environment but we reap considerable economic benefits as well," the minister said.

Source: UK Press

New Three Bridges train depot could create up to 300 jobs

2009-07-20T11:03:00.000-07:00

Around 300 new jobs will be coming to the town as part of a £5.5 billion project.

A new train depot will soon be built in Three Bridges in time for the 2012 London Olympics.

Improved transport is being introduced by Network Rail, which will include more trains, more seats and better journeys for passengers.

The national train operator has had to choose two sites to hold its trains, one south and one north of Central London.

And the company has decided to build its south depot in Three Bridges.

Source: This is Sussex

338 new jobs at Continental Teves

2009-07-20T10:54:00.000-07:00

Gov. Bev Perdue today announced the creation of up to 338 new jobs at Continental Teves, which makes brakes and brake parts for the automotive industry.

Henderson County earlier this month agreed to offer an incentive package to an unnamed company that planned to invest $30 million for machines and equipment, creating 338 new jobs by 2014. The company's name was not revealed until today.

"North Carolina ranks 10th nationally in automotive-related jobs thanks to the commitment of such international leaders as Continental and its subsidiary in our state,” Perdue said in a released statement. “Established companies continue to grow here because they know the value of our top business climate and skilled workforce.”

Henderson County was one of three locations that competed for the brake-maker's expansion, Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development President and CEO Andrew Tate told commissioners.

"This project is significant, because it is the largest manufacturing job creation project in Western North Carolina in over a decade, and one of the largest in Henderson County ever,” Henderson County Board of Commissioners Chairman Bill Moyer said.

The company plans to begin the work this year, commissioners were told, and would hire new employees in 2011. The average wage for the new positions would be $36,179.

The Fletcher Town Council approved an economic incentive package for the company Friday. Tate said the value was about half of what the board of commissioners approved.

The exact value of the incentives are hard to calculate, because they are based on a depreciating asset. The value of the incentives will decrease over time as the value of the equipment declines, but the overall value will be tens of thousands of dollars.

“Since it is equipment, it would be reassessed each year,” Tate explained.

Source: Blue Ridge Now

Yale Industrial Products creates 65 jobs in Wadesboro

2009-07-20T10:42:00.000-07:00

Yale Industrial Products Inc., a designer and manufacturer of material-handling products, will expand its operations in Wadesboro.

The company plans to invest $3 million and add 65 jobs over the next three years.

The Wadesboro plant has 136 workers.

The new jobs will pay an average $37,031 per year, excluding benefits. That exceeds the Anson County average of $28,288.

Yale Industrial Products is owned by Columbus McKinnon Corp. of New York, which makes hoists, trolleys, cranes and other material-handling equipment.

Columbus McKinnon also has hoist-manufacturing facilities in Michigan, Ohio and Virginia.

The company plans to consolidate its Michigan operation into the other plants, including the Wadesboro facility, which will add a line of wire rope hoists.

Columbus McKinnon also owns Duff-Norton, a manufacturing facility in Charlotte.

The proposed expansion was made possible, in part, by a $116,300 grant from the One North Carolina Fund, according to the office of Gov. Bev Perdue. The state uses the fund to attract business projects that create jobs.

New employment positions will be posted at the N.C. Employment Security Commission/JobLink Center at 116 W. Wade St. in Wadesboro. Applicants must apply at the center.

Source: Biz Journals

44% Indian employers predict new job additions in 2009

2009-07-19T10:28:00.000-07:00

Companies have turned optimistic about their hiring plans in the year ahead, with as many as 44 per cent employers anticipating new job additions in 2009, a survey by job portal Naukri.com says.

The survey of over 900 recruiters across the country revealed a positive outlook for this year with 44 per cent respondents predicting addition of new jobs as against just 38 per cent in the December survey.

Moreover, as many as 37.5 per cent recruiting companies expect replacement hiring, while just 13.4 per cent anticipate a freeze in the activity, the survey said.

Further, a marginal 4.6 per cent respondents expect layoffs, it added.

"We perceive a positive sentiment among recruiters. Most companies are now doing replacement hiring. There has been an improvement in the hiring activity of industries including telecom, auto, banking, capital goods etc," Info Edge (India) National Head (Marketing and Communications) Sumeet Singh said.

The survey revealed a positive hiring scenario in industries like pharma and medical, construction and engineering and telecom, where over 50 per cent of the recruiters indicated that there would be creation of new jobs during the year.

Meanwhile, in the IT industry, 15 per cent of the recruiters indicated that there would be no hiring during the year. But the scenario seemed worse for IT enabled services where over eight per cent recruiters indicated layoffs, the report added.

Source: Business Standard

Tesco to add 170 new jobs

2009-07-19T10:25:00.000-07:00

Supermarket giant Tesco is in advanced negotiations to expand its Hunstanton store, with the creation of up to 170 new jobs – in yet another recession busting move.

Tesco is already working on plans to create hundreds of jobs in Lynn by building a Tesco Extra and raft of new shops on the old Campbells site, is pushing for a new store in Heacham and plans to expand its Gaywood store.

West Norfolk Council hopes to sell Tesco 1.7 acres of a 2.7 acre plot off Waveney Road, known locally as the sheep field, with a hope it will help it kick start plans to build affordable homes on the rest of the site.

The news prompted Hunstanton and District Chamber of Trade to call for independent traders and town's people to take action to prevent the town centre from dying.

Chairman Paul Beal said: "Tesco's aim is to kill all town centres. It's beneficial to the people, but not to the traders and people have to know that if they don't support their local traders their town centres will be full of charity shops and estate agents."

A Tesco spokesman said: "Tesco Hunstanton is a popular store but many people still go out of the town to do their shopping. By improving it we believe we will encourage more people back and it will create opportunities for other businesses."

The new store will still be primarily focused on food sales and is expected to be of a similar size to the store off Hardwick Road, Lynn, but the firm plans to consult with the community before firming up plans.

West Norfolk cabinet member for regeneration Cllr Jason Law said: "The proposed expansion to the Tesco store will bring additional all-year-round job opportunities, something the town needs following job losses from the closure of Woolworths.

"It is also hoped that some of the cash from the sale of the land can be ploughed back into the town – a welcome financial boost which will help the council deliver its ambitious Hunstanton Regeneration Master Plan."

Further negotiations with a social landlord will follow to push forward the development of homes on the rest of the site, but it is expected Tesco would make a contribution to them.

Hunstanton Mayor Christine Earnshaw said: "We are desperate for social housing in Hunstanton."

Liberal Democrats yesterday vowed to make the Conservative-led West Norfolk Council justify the move to sell part of the land to Tesco, saying it was needed for affordable homes.

Source: Lynn News

SAP to create 30 new jobs at Kuala Lumpur call center

2009-07-19T10:22:00.000-07:00

Business software giant SAP AG’s upcoming regional call centre will create 30 new jobs Kuala Lumpur.

The telemarketing staff would be tasked to make cold calls to 18,000 potential clients around the region and create demand for SAP’s products and services, SAP Malaysia Sdn Bhd managing director V.R Srivatsan said.

While these call centre staff won’t be handling actual product sales, they would help generate what the industry termed as “leads” to potential business worth an estimated 200mil euros (RM1bil) for SAP.

It was reported earlier this week that SAP Asia Pacific Japan had inked a deal to outsource its demand generation and telemarketing services in nine countries to Datacom SEA (M) Sdn Bhd.

The call centre will be based at Menara Olympia in Kuala Lumpur.

Srivatsan was speaking to reporters at the SAP World Tour 2009 event in Kuala Lumpur, one of 27 stops in the Asia Pacific region and part of a showcase SAP’s solutions to business partners and potential clients.

More than 300 participants turned up for the by-invitation business and technology event.

Key SAP customers such as Proton Holdings Bhd, Telekom Malaysia Bhd and Sime Darby Bhd were involved in panel discussions and shared their experience.

SAP Malaysia has more than 700 clients, of which 65% are small and medium enterprises. It has been in operation in the country since 1992.

Source: The Star

Immediate Pharmaceutical Services creates 200 jobs at Avon Lake

2009-07-19T10:19:00.000-07:00

The tapering of income tax funds has been a source of stress for city officials, but a light glimmers at the end of their financial tunnel.

A mail-order pharmaceutical company, Immediate Pharmaceutical Services Inc., located near the intersection Moore and Walker roads, intends to expand within Avon Lake -- or to Alabama -- potentially bringing 200 stable, $21 per hour jobs to the city.

"It's all conditional on approval by the state and also the company themselves," Mayor K.C. Zuber said. "It's a potential to bring in over $100,000 in income tax money a year for us."

In order to convince IPS to stay in town, the Ohio Department of Development proposed implementing the Ohio Job Creation Tax Credit Program.

The program would mandate that the city take 20 percent of the income tax generated by the new jobs and return them to IPS for the first five years after the expansion. This incentive would be capped at $100,000.

"It's a different angle attempting to attract and maintain business in the city," City Council President Gregory Zika said.

City Council approved legislation Monday that would allow Zuber to further negotiate with IPS.

Zilka said members of the city's Economic Development Advisory Board have reviewed and unofficially OK'd the plan, though a quorum was not reached.

"They were very pleased," Zilka said.

According to Zuber, the Ohio Department of Development is putting together its own package to encourage IPS to stay that could include a large sum of money as well as job training programs.

After weeks of working with the state and the IPS attorneys, Zuber said a decision will be made by the end of the month.

"The state will have taken their action and the company will have accepted or rejected their package," he said. "We're just going to do our part now so that when the state does that, they'll already know we're willing to work with them."

City officials are excited about the deal as it could not only bring in an extra $8.9 million in annual payroll to the city, but will also increase traffic to its existing businesses.

"It would not only be a huge boost for Avon Lake but also the west side of town," Ward 4 Councilman David Kos said.

Source: Cleveland Blog

Retailer Griffin Group creates 130 jobs

2009-07-19T10:18:00.001-07:00

The Griffin Group have announced the creation of 130 retail jobs at three new stores.

The group opened its 19th new store at the Belarmine Plaza in Stepaside, Co Dublin, where 50 people will be employed.

On Wednesday, another 35 jobs came on line at a new store in Newcastle in Galway and a further 45 positions will be filled when another store opens its doors in Adamstown, Co Dublin, in September.

The company says the outlets are part of a new 'concept' called 'The Market', which will deal primarily in food but will also have off-licences and sell bus tickets and phone credit.

Source: RTE

Network Rail creates new jobs in Rochdale(UK)

2009-07-19T10:15:00.000-07:00

A new contact centre in Rochdale has been awarded a three-year contract from Network Rail to provide a national technical helpdesk service.

The centre is based on Drake St, as part of the Impact Partnership. The service involves taking calls and providing technical solutions 24 hrs a day 365 days of the year. The scale of the contract is vast encompassing support for 2,800 railway stations and over 200,000 other Network Rail buildings and assets.

The contract began in June 2008 with 20 local people recruited to carry out the work. The Mayor presented on behalf of Network Rail flowers to the employee who took the very first call, Joan Eccles.

The helpdesk advisor, from Heywood said: “It was great to be part of a brand new team and offering a new service, but when I first took the call I have to admit I was nervous.

"One year on I feel confident in my role and look forward to the calls which range from a problem with a lift to a one off incident such as an oil spill.”

From the numerous challenges experienced with any new service the team have matured and are now delivering a service that is meeting the client’s service level targets.

Mike Crompton, Property Operations Director, comments: “The excellent work that the team are providing to Network Rail has provided a platform of confidence to market the helpdesk to other organisations and we are confident that we will expand this aspect of the business and create more local jobs.”

Impact was established almost three years ago to tackle the economic challenges facing the Borough. Impact is committed to creating at least 1,305 sustainable jobs during the 15-year course of the Partnership – an ambitious job creation target which is especially challenging given Rochdale’s ranking as one of the most deprived Boroughs in the country.

During the past three years, Impact has played a leading role in transforming Council services to the public, most notably with the creation of a new extended-hours customer contact centre which currently handles an average of 36,000 calls per month.

The Partnership also plays a pivotal role in supporting the physical regeneration, providing building and highways professionals for local projects across the Borough – such as the recently improved junctions at Sudden, Townhead and Kingsway.

Source: Rochdale Online

Spear Group Holdings adds 30 jobs at Mason

2009-07-17T20:13:00.000-07:00

Spear Group Holdings will expand its Mason production facility and add 30 jobs, the label manufacturer said.

The realignment of its production footprint transfers capacity from its Milford, N.H., plant, according to a news release.

A maker of pressure-sensitive labeling for the food, beverage and personal care industries, Spear operates facilities in Clarksville, Tenn., Milford, N.H., and Fulton, N.Y., as well as its headquarters facility in Mason. Some its clients include Neutrogena, Lipton Tea and Starbucks.

The company did not disclose details about the improvements. A spokesman said because the company builds its own proprietary printing equipment, it would not share specifics.

Spear has seen several years of growth, with its global output more than doubling, president Randy Spears said in the release. It has added capacity in Europe and South Africa.

Work at its Mason facility will begin in August and will update narrow-web capabilities, including new printing presses and production flows. Work should be completed by year 2009.

Source: Biz Journals

Vocus Inc to hire 60 employees by 2009

2009-07-13T21:46:00.000-07:00

Vocus Inc., which provides software for public relations management, is hiring 60 new employees by the end of 2009.

The Lanham-based company said the majority of the hires will be local at its headquarters and media research facility in College Park.

Most of the open positions are in sales and marketing but also exist in almost every department, including product development and client services.

The company is getting the hiring word out through a mix of traditional and nontraditional means, like job boards, social media, Twitter and networking events in the area, said Cal Shilling, the company’s chief recruiter.

Those hires will be in addition to the 100 employees the company has hired so far in 2009, which includes those in its European offices.

Vocus increased revenue to $20.41 million during the first quarter of the year, up 14 percent compared to the first quarter of 2008.

Source: Biz Journals

Immediate Pharmaceutical Services to create 200 jobs in three years

2009-07-10T21:51:00.001-07:00

State and local officials hope to encourage an Avon Lake mail-order pharmacy to go ahead with a $5 million expansion that would add 200 jobs over three years.

Government agencies are preparing to offer tax and other incentives worth "something less than $2 million" to Immediate Pharmaceutical Services, said Michael Stanek, an Avon Lake at-large councilman.

The package would include $98,000 in income-tax rebates from the Lorain County city to secure the expansion, said K.C. Zuber, the city's mayor, who said he did not know exactly how much the state might contribute.

Zuber received word from Ohio officials in early June that IPS, as the company is known, could increase its presence in the city if the company received an expected contract to handle prescription services for some state employees. But at least one other community was competing for the proposed larger operations.

"A city in Alabama also bid on getting IPS to move there," Stanek said. As often happens when companies announce possible expansion plans, state and local governments began battling over which locale could provide the most incentives.

IPS formerly was a unit of Medina-based Discount Drug Mart, which sold the pharmacy-benefit manager in September. The buyer, PBM HealthExtras, paid $40 million.

Not long after the purchase, HealthExtras chief executive, David Blair, said the Maryland-based company intended to expand the IPS mail-order fulfillment center in Ohio. HealthExtras also operates a retail pharmacy network of more than 60,000 participating drugstores around the country.

Any expansion "would be great for Avon Lake and for Lorain County," Stanek said. Zuber said Stanek and other council members would vote Monday, just before the legislative body's five-week summer break, to authorize that the mayor continue negotiating with IPS. "I'm here to help them with anything they want," he said.

A spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Development said the state has offered an incentive package but would provide no further details about a deal still under discussion. Other sources said the department is scheduled to meet in late July to consider the exact scope of any incentives.

The results Zuber hopes for include these potential benefits for his city:

Jobs would increase from the current 90 to nearly 300 over 36 months.

Average wages at the fulfillment center would be about $21.50 an hour.

The income tax revenue from the additional jobs would, in time, add $134,000 a year to the city's budget.

For the first five years of IPS' expansion, though, the company would benefit from a 20 percent reduction in income taxes, reducing Avon Lake's take by $98,000 over the period.

Source: Cleveland.com

Almac creates 80 new jobs in UK

2009-07-10T21:49:00.000-07:00

Recruitment will begin shortly for the first of around 80 jobs which will be created in a £9 million expansion by pharmaceutical giant Almac.

Phase one of the expansion was completed this week, adding 30,000 sq ft to the company’s headquarters at Seagoe Industrial Estate.

The three-storey extension to the Almac Pharma Services division has increased the size of the laboratory and office areas. The new, state–of-the-art laboratories will enhance the division’s existing analytical and microbiological services.

Phase 2 of the investment is ongoing and will see the expansion and update of the administration areas. It will be completed later in the summer.

The expansion has been supported by Invest NI, and is part of the continued growth of the Almac Group that has seen recent completion of a specialist storage facility in Craigavon, and the ongoing development of the group’s US headquarters in Pennsylvania.

Graeme McBurney, president and managing director of Almac Pharma Services, said, “Increased client demand for our integrated services, from product development to commercial supply, has resulted in this investment and expansion. Analytical and project management expertise and support in these service areas are a key part of providing a complete solution to our client partners.

“The provision of expert and consultative analytical services has also been key to our continued growth, and this significant investment allows for ongoing expansion, both in terms of space and the additional team members we will be recruiting. I look forward to working with the current and new members of our team to ensure Pharma Services’ success continues,” he added.

Welcoming the announcement, Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster said, “Almac is now one of the most respected, innovative companies operating in the highly competitive global pharmaceutical industry. This £9m expansion, supported by Invest NI, demonstrates Almac’s focus on servicing growing international demand for its specialist analytical services.

“Almac’s success is due entirely to the cutting edge research capability, expertise and commitment to business excellence which exists across the group.”

The Almac Group comprises five closely integrated divisions and employs over 2,400 people at its headquarters in Carn and USA.

Source: Portadown Times

Ryla Inc to hire 600 for Saraland call center

2009-07-10T21:44:00.001-07:00

Less than two weeks after the grand opening of a call center in Saraland, Ryla Inc. officials announced plans Thursday to hold job fairs aimed at hiring 600 new employees.

Karen Clay, vice president of marketing, said the company, which provides technical support-call services for clients, will conduct the job fairs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday beginning next week and continuing through July 30.

A good impression made by the facility on one of its clients led to the quick decision to expand the workforce since the center's June 30 opening, Clay said.

"One of our clients were so impressed at the ribbon cutting in Saraland that they decided to expedite their timeline to add more agents," she said.

The 90,000-square-foot building formerly housed a call center for the Hertz Corp.

Hertz left the building as employees shifted to working from home.

As of Thursday, Ryla had 550 workers at the Saraland facility. In all, the company, based in Kennesaw, Ga., has about 2,500 employees.

Adding 600 more workers would put Ryla closer to its goal of supplying 1,200 jobs in Saraland before 2011, which would earn it $1.1 million in cash incentives. The company is 50 employees away from earning half of the full amount of incentives, which would be once the workforce reached 600.

The Mobile County Commission and the state government are supplying the incentives.

Clay said she's certain the job fairs will help find more than enough employees.

"Now that the word is out about who we are, more people should attend," Clay said. "Many people assumed we do telemarketing. We don't. We do tech support for Fortune 500 companies and government clients."

Ryla is also giving $100 to employees for each new hire they refer.

Clay said before being interviewed for the job, candidates will be asked to take basic typing and grammar tests.

"We are looking for individuals who have customer contact values and hospitality skills," Clay said.

She advised that anyone coming for the job fairs be dressed professionally and bring a résumé and two forms of government-issued identification.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about the job fairs, visit www.ryla.com. If unable to attend the job fairs, send your résumé to mobile-recruiting@ryla.com

Source: AL.com

Bravo Health adding more than 200 jobs in East Baltimore

2009-07-10T21:11:00.000-07:00

Bravo Health Inc. said it will expand its office in East Baltimore and bring more than 200 additional jobs to the city.

The company, which provides Medicare Advantage health plans, is expanding its office by 30,000 square feet, to a total of 117,000 square feet. Its current Brewers Hill space employs 570.

Baltimore City Mayor Sheila Dixon said in a news release that retaining the company is a coup for the city.

The Baltimore Development Corporation, the city’s economic development agency, said it worked for several months with Bravo Health and broker Obrecht Commercial Real Estate to keep the company in the city.

Bravo derives 80 percent of its $1 billion business from Medicare Advantage, which supplements federal Medicare coverage for senior citizens with additional services, including coverage for preventative visits, eye glasses and health care services.

Source: Biz Journals

Lightning Hybrids to create 50 jobs in Loveland

2009-07-09T18:28:00.000-07:00

The Loveland City Council unanimously approved a $100,000 incentive deal for startup car company Lightning Hybrids to create 50 jobs in Loveland.

Lightning Hybrids will collect its first $50,000 from the city when it signs the agreement, possibly by Aug. 1.

It then has 24 months to have 25 new employees working for at least one year and paid no less than $65,000 annually, said Betsey Hale, Loveland's business development manager.

If the company meets the timeline outlined in the deal, it will get the second $50,000 to again hire 25 employees over 24 months with the same provisions.

If it doesn't hit the timeframes, the city can charge the company $2,000 for each job it did not create in the agreed period of time, Hale said.

Lightning Hybrids was launched in downtown Loveland last year by local entrepreneurs to build a hydraulic-biodiesel car that can get 100 miles per gallon. Since then, the company also developed a retrofit hydraulic system to install in a variety of trucks and cars that is ready to go to market.

The first Lightning Hybrids prototype sports car was parked outside of council chambers for officials to see.

Lightning Hybrids co-founder Tim Reeser told the City Council on Tuesday the company is already shopping for manufacturing space in downtown Loveland and hopes to have 477 new jobs in the city during the next five years.

Source: Coloradoan

New Morrisons store creates 100 jobs in UK

2009-07-09T18:26:00.000-07:00

DOWNHAM'S brand new Morrisons store was officially opened on Monday, bringing to the town more than 100 new jobs.

The store, which represents a "substantial investment" for the well-known chain, was officially opened at 9am by store general manager Marcus Hamill and long-serving colleague Kerry Blackwell.

The Bridge Street store has been developed at the site after a former outlet for Somerfield there closed.

Morrisons confirmed in March it had bought the supermarket premises from the Co-operative Group, which had completed its acquisition of the Somerfield chain.

The Co-op was required to sell off a number of its newly-acquired Somerfield stores due to competition fears. The Downham store then closed in April ready for its extensive refit, Morrisons laying on a free bus for customers to the Lynn store in the meantime.

Mr Hamill said: "We've had an amazing response from customers, and they have been a pleasure to serve. I would like to thank them and my colleagues for making today such a success."

Over the past weeks, the team had been working night and day, he said. Opening the doors and welcoming shoppers was reward for all the training and preparation. Some 66 staff working at the former Somerfield store have joined Morrisons, who have also recruited 111 managerial, full-time and part-time posts making 177 staff in all.

The new store includes Market Street, Morrisons' unique collection of individual fresh food shops.

Source: Lynn News

Diamond Pet Foods to create 40 new jobs in Lexington

2009-07-09T18:23:00.000-07:00

While some companies are laying people off, a Lexington County plant for Diamond Pet Foods plans to bring 40 new jobs to the area by the end of the year.

Diamond Pet Foods in Gaston announced plans to expand, and they are already hiring to fill open positions. It's part of a $1 million project they expect will help boost the economy.

The company's new warehouse is expected to be up and running by the end of the year. Crews are currently breaking ground for the nearly 60,000-square-foot facility.

"We're fortunate to be in an industry that's somewhat insulated. The economy, the way it is, there's a lot of good people out of work right now, and so, we count our blessings," Plant Manager Alan Osborn said.

"We try to target good people with excellent work histories who are flexible and will be here on time ,because people need to feed their families and pay their bills. And hopefully, we're in the position to create some of those opportunities for people," Osborn said.

If you'd like to apply, just email your resume to aosborn@diamondpet.com

Source: WLTX

Premier Processing creates 100 new jobs

2009-07-09T11:21:00.000-07:00

Premier Processing, a start-up metal finishing company, is planning to open a facility at 3002 W. Pawnee St. this fall.

The company wants to create 100 jobs over the next five years and carry an average annual payroll of more than $3 million.

It is investing more than $3.8 million in the project.

“The quality work force makes Wichita the perfect location, and combined with the response of local and state economic development groups, helped make our decision,” Brad Hart of Premier Processing said, in a release.

“We are excited to welcome Premier Processing to Wichita,” said Kansas Department of Commerce Secretary David D. Kerr. “Given the nation’s current economic challenges, it says a lot about the Kansas business climate that a company like Premier would choose to locate here.”

The KDOC worked with Sedgwick County, the city of Wichita and the Greater Wichita Economic Development Coalition to secure incentives for the company.

State incentives include training funds, High Performance Incentive Programs and Enterprise Zone credits.

Other local incentives will be voted on by the City Council and Sedgwick County Commission in coming weeks.

Source: Biz Journals

Nordstrom creates 250 jobs

2009-07-09T10:32:00.000-07:00

Department store chain Nordstrom Inc. on July 13 will begin accepting job applications for its Kenwood Towne Centre.

The Seattle-based retailer expects to hire 250 people. The location, at Kenwood and Montgomery roads, will open Sept. 25.

Positions are available in all store areas, including sales, support positions in alterations, housekeeping, the Cafe Bistro and the Ebar coffee bar.

The 138,000-square-foot store will be managed by Renata Bakale, an Australia native who started at Nordstrom Michigan Avenue (Chicago) in 2000. She comes to Cincinnati from Nordstrom at Fashion Mall at Keystone, in Indianapolis, where she is interim manager.

The store opening will be followed Nov. 20 with the arrival of the Nordstrom Rack outlet store, at Rookwood Pavilion in Norwood.

For more information about the jobs, or to apply online, visit careers.nordstrom.com. Applications for support positions are available now and applications for sales positions will be available on the site starting July 13.

Seattle-based Nordstrom is known for its customer service as well as its selection of high-end designers and in-store brands. It operates 175 stores in 28 states.

Source: Biz Journals

Toyota's new plastic factory brings new jobs to Indiana

2009-07-08T18:28:00.000-07:00

A subsidiary of the world's largest automaker is bringing additional jobs to Central Indiana.

Wednesday, Toyota breaks ground on a new plastics factory in Johnson County.

The groundbreaking for the plastics plant will take place in the Franklin Business Park located near I-65. Access to the state's interstate system is one of the reasons why Franklin was chosen for the new factory.

The 64,000 square foot facility will house Premium Composite Technology North America and it will make plastics parts such as engine covers, brake light cases, and rearview mirrors for Japanese and American automakers.

The Toyota plant in Princeton, and Honda in Greensburg, will be big customers.

Toyota Tsusho Corporation, the 6th largest trading company in the world, will own 80 percent of the new plant.Operations will begin in the spring of 2010, bringing in 37 quality jobs.

"Number one, when you've got a time when the economy is in a downturn and you still land major national corporations to your community, you can not only get excited for the current situation, but for future growth," said Franklin Mayor, Fred Paris. "It may only be 35 jobs or 130 jobs, but if they like your community, they will tell their next supplier, hey, you ought to look at Franklin, we've got six other buildings there."

Franklin's unemployment is at 10%, so, landing new jobs with an international company is a big victory during the recession, and promising for future growth.

"I have had some people in my own community challenge why I would even go to Japan and the fact is, right now you have to continue to build those relationships. The one thing that we know from our friends in Japan, the Middle East and China is where we're working right now is that relationships are very important and these things don't happen overnight," Mayor Paris said.

The factory will be built next to the Best Buy Distribution Center, already located in the industrial park. Paris hopes to soon announce some exciting initiatives Best Buy is going to do in the community.

Mayor Paris says the park has been the backbone of the growth of the industrial sector of Franklin over the last 20 years. There are already plans for the city to start another hi-tech park.

Operations at the plastics plant will begin in the spring of 2010. The groundbreaking is at 1p.m. Wednesday with Lt. Governor Becky Skillman on hand.

Source: WTHR