Koch Foods hiring 200 due to expansion

New product line fuels new jobs


LOCAL HIRING EVENTS THIS WEEK

OhioMeansJobs — Butler County, the government-run job center on Dixie Highway in Fairfield, is hosting several hiring events this week for area employers:

• Koch Foods Inc. of Fairfield is hiring about 200 workers for general laborers, production stackers and other positions. Apply in-person from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. today (Tuesday) at the job center, 4631 Dixie Hwy., Fairfield.

Koch Foods will return with a second hiring event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 23;

• Advantage Sales is taking applications for several fixture team members today (Tuesday) from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., also at OhioMeansJobs — Butler County;

• Deceuninck North America of Monroe is currently hiring several extrusion specialists with pay starting at $11.45. Apply during the company’s hiring event from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday (June 10); and

• Staffing agency Manpower is currently hiring for returns and gift set assembly positions, laboratory technicians, medical device assemblers, forklift operators, administrative assistants, customer service and account representatives, and account managers for employers in the West Chester Twp., Mason, Springdale, and Loveland areas.

Manpower is holding hiring events at the job center from 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday (June 10), and again from 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday, June 24.

SOURCE: www.workforceoneofbutlercounty.com

Koch Foods Inc., one of Fairfield’s largest employers, is hiring for approximately 200 jobs at its local plant following the implementation of a new production line, according to city and company officials.

“As a result, this has increased our warehouse and distribution needs,” said Angela Smith, a recruiter for the poultry processor and food product manufacturer.

The company, which currently employs about 840 hourly and salary jobs at the Port Union Road manufacturing site, has several upcoming hiring events planned, said Wrai Fite, human resources manager. The new hiring plans could bring Koch Foods workforce to more than 1,000 employees in Fairfield working across three shifts.

The first job fair is today at OhioMeansJobs — Butler County.

Interested job seekers can apply in person between the hours of 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. today at the government-run job center, located at 4631 Dixie Hwy. (Ohio 4), in Fairfield. For more information, call the job center at 513-785-6500.

Koch Foods is seeking about 100 general laborers, said Melissa O’Brien, business services liaison for the local OhioMeansJobs center. First shift pays $9 an hour, and second shift pays $9.40, O’Brien said.

Another 100 job openings are for production stackers, with starting wages of about $10 an hour, she said.

Additional job openings that O’Brien said are available at the chicken company include:

• Quality assurance technicians, with starting pay between $11 and $12.55 an hour for second shift;

• Warehouse workers and inventory control positions that pay starting wages of $11.40 an hour and have openings in both second and third shifts; and

• Data capture palletizers, a second and third shift job paying $11.40 hour.

Those who can’t attend today can attend a second Koch Foods job fair being held at the same Fairfield job center on June 23 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Also, according to the company, walk-in applications are accepted from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays to Fridays at the local manufacturing plant site, 4100 Port Union Road, in Fairfield.

“Koch Foods is a multi-culture and multi-language employer,” Smith said.

Job requirements for any of the positions listed above include being able to pass a background check, and passing a pre-employment drug screening. Applicants can be bilingual but must be able to speak fluent English, Smith said.

Also, employees have to be able to withstand working in cold temperatures because it is a food company and all food products are cold, refrigerated or frozen, she said.

Koch Foods is headquartered in Park Ridge, Ill. The company in recent years announced an expansion of its office and warehouse space in Fairfield, and is one of the city’s top 10 employers, said Greg Kathman, Fairfield’s economic development manager.

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