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Looking for a job? Every Sunday, we’ll report on new job opportunities in the community including companies hiring, how to apply, training programs and other economic trends that can affect your job search. Contact reporter Chelsey Levingston with suggestions at chelsey.levingston@coxinc.com. Also let us know if you land that job.
Several record-breaking announcements were made over the last year in the region for new job creation including companies establishing new operations in the area, as well as large existing employers with job openings to fill due to growing business.
The Journal-News compiled the following list of known top job announcements in 2015 across the Cincinnati region, although only those north of the Ohio River. Information is based on records kept by regional economic development agency REDI Cincinnati, as well as hiring announcements released by the companies.
Job seekers should know several of the businesses listed below are still hiring.
1. Barclaycard US, 1,500 new jobs promised, Hamilton
Barclaycard, a payments business and division of United Kingdom-based Barclays Bank, made the single biggest announcement for new job creation in at least a decade in the city when it announced in August plans to open a call center at Vora Technology Park. The credit card servicer expects to create about 1,500 new jobs in coming years and to invest more than $9 million in the project. Plans are to add up to 250 new employees in 2016 at Vora Technology with operations on target to begin in February, Barclaycard spokesman Matthew Fields said.
For more information, visit www.barclaycardcareers.com.
2. CDK Global, 1,000 new jobs promised, location TBA
CDK Global provides integrated information technology and digital marketing solutions to the automotive retail industry, according to information provided by Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s Office and Ohio Development Services Agency. After talking to a spokesman for the company, more details about this opening including more jobs fairs, a location and details about what the company wants to open in Greater Cincinnati are to come in 2016.
3. The Kroger Co., 1,100 new jobs across Cincinnati/Dayton plus 649 new jobs promised, Blue Ash
The Cincinnati-based grocery retailer made multiple large hiring announcements in 2015.
That includes plans announced in June to open a new distribution center and establish a customer service center of excellence in Blue Ash. In addition to the 649 new Blue Ash jobs Kroger expects to create in coming years, 100 more jobs will be relocated from Hamilton (Butler County) to Hamilton County to share offices with other customer service units, according to a corporate spokesman.
At one point in September, Kroger announced it had about 1,100 job openings in the Cincinnati/Dayton Division for most every store department including part-time positions. There are about 109 stores in the Cincinnati, Dayton and Springfield areas. This newspaper learned one driver behind the hiring spree was Kroger's expanding online shopping service, which has created about 100 new jobs such as e-commerce selector and e-commerce attendant to do shopping for customers ordering groceries online
Apply to work at Kroger online at jobs.kroger.com.
4. StarTek, 682 new jobs promised, Hamilton
The Colorado-based business processes company announced in February plans to open a call center in downtown Hamilton in the former Elder-Beerman building on High Street. Until Barclaycard's announcement, Hamilton's economic development staff believed StarTek to be the city's single largest announcement for new job creation in at least 10 years.
After opening in July, employment levels at the Hamilton facility had reached about 200 workers as of November, site manager Scott Farmer said.
Apply online at www.startek.com/careers.
5. Milacron, 294 new jobs promised, Cincinnati/Blue Ash/Batavia/Mount Orab
Milacron LLC expects to create 294 full-time positions, generating $13.8 million in additional annual payroll as a result of the company’s expansion project in the four Cincinnati-area communities, Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s office announced in June. Milacron manufactures and distributes plastic processing equipment.
SEASONAL HIRING CREATES HUNDREDS OF JOBS
In addition to the job creators listed above, seasonal hiring at area employers also creates hundreds of job openings every year.
For example, Home Depot officials said in Spring 2015 it filled about 600 jobs at 13 Cincinnati-area stores. Lowe’s had another 300 positions to fill at its 13 area stores.
Meanwhile, Home Depot's Rapid Deployment Center in Monroe has already started hiring for the upcoming busy spring season for about 90 jobs, said Scott Brown, staffing specialist. Apply online at careers.homedepot.com/supplychain.
Mason amusement park Kings Island hires more than 4,000 people a year for seasonal jobs ahead of an April opening. Apply online now for the 2016 season at kifun.jobs.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Other major job-generating projects of note in 2015 include the following:
• Intelligrated, 238 new jobs promised, Mason
The advanced manufacturer and designer of material handling equipment planned to build a new three-story office building on its 14-acre Mason campus, an approximately $12 million investment, according to the city, which approved project incentives in March. About 238 new jobs paying an average $70,000 a year could be created as a result, according to city records.
• Liberty Center, 3,500 new jobs forecast by 2018, Liberty Twp.
The first phase of the approximately $350 million retail, office and residential complex opened in October in Butler County. Estimates are that tenants could create about 3,500 full- and part-time jobs by 2018, according to Liberty Twp. For example, Cobb Theatres held a job fair this fall for about 175 job openings for its movie theater and restaurant at the site.
• Cabela’s Inc., 200 new jobs created, West Chester Twp.
The outdoor sporting goods store hired about 200 full-time, part-time and seasonal workers when it opened in August.
• ADVICS Manufacturing Ohio, 260 new jobs promised, Lebanon
The auto parts supplier is expanding again to make a new a new electronic brake system at its Warren County campus.
• Festo, 250 new jobs promised, Mason
The German industrial giant completed construction this year of its new assembly plant and warehouse in Mason and will ramp up hiring over time to the full 250 jobs or so. Hopes were to fill about 100 Mason jobs by January.
• UGN Inc., over 100 jobs created, Monroe
Another auto supplier opened a new factory this year in Monroe, hiring over 100 people.
• Domino’s, 225 new jobs, Cincinnati region
Finally, franchise chain Domino's has approximately 225 job openings at 57 franchise-owned stores in the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky areas including locations in Lebanon, Monroe, Fairfield and more, the company announced Dec. 22. All positions offered are for delivery drivers and assistant managers. Apply at jobs.dominos.com.
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