Superior Industries International Inc. is “ actively ” advertising for about 100 production workers for its Fayetteville plant, according to a vice president of the company.
That’s good news, not just for the workers, but for businesses all over town and the city as a whole, according to economic leaders.
“ These people that have these new jobs now have money to spend in banks and grocery stores and buy cars and open bank accounts. And that, of course, spreads throughout the economy and rolls into sales tax and property tax, so it’s good for the schools and it’s good for the entire community, ” said Steve Rust, president and CEO of the Fayetteville Economic Development Council.
“ Anytime you have 100 new jobs, it has a very positive impact on the local economy, ” he said.
Jeff Ornstein, vice-president and chief financial officer for Superior, said the company is looking to hire 100 workers in the next couple months for the Fayetteville plant, which supplies aluminum wheels and components to car manufacturers.
“ It’s just great news, ” Chamber of Commerce President Bill Ramsey said.
“ This may be an indication that that downturn in the automotive world is going to become more positive as gas prices come down. I think that’s going to help new car production. As that industry goes, so goes Superior — that’s their customer, ” he said.
Superior has about 1, 000 workers in the Fayetteville operation, which consists of two side-by-side plants, a chrome-plating facility and a casting facility.
Earlier this year, the company eliminated its chromeplating facility in Fayetteville, which meant 225 local jobs were eliminated, and last year, the casting plant reduced head count.
The company anticipates new wheel styles for its customers in upcoming months, said Larry Goodall, human resources director in Fayetteville.
“ To meet that additional capacity, we’re going to need more people, ” he said.
The new jobs will be production-worker jobs in the casting operation and machine shop, he said.
Goodall said workers displaced by the earlier reductions will get preference if they are qualified for the new positions. He said the plant has tried to reach all of the workers for whom they have contact information.
Pay is based on experience, according to Goodall. Starting rates range from $ 9 to $ 10 at entry level. With the company’s pay-for-performance program, workers can accelerate to the top-out rate of $ 13. 75 an hour. A shift differential of $. 75 an hour for the third shift means a worker can potentially can make up to $ 14. 50 an hour.
Finding the workers has not been a problem.
“ We’ve pretty much been swamped with people coming into the plant the last couple days filling out applications. Word’s getting out that we’re hiring, ” Goodall said.
He said they have to fill the positions quickly.
“ We have five weeks to hire 100 people. In five weeks, we’re going to be back up to close to our capacity as far as the maximum amount of wheels we can produce. We have to have the people, ” he said.
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