BY ANDREA HOLECEK, Times of Northwest Indiana
holecek@nwitimes.com
EAST CHICAGO | The movement of ethanol from its Midwest producers to the nation's refineries is boosting the tank railcar market and its need for experienced employees.
In order to recruit qualified workers, Union Tank Car Co. is holding job fairs Thursday and Friday.
The events will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. On Thursday, the fair will be at the Courtyard by Marriott, Interstate 80-94 at Kennedy Avenue, Hammond. Friday's fair will be at the Best Western Chicago Southland, I-294 at Halsted Street, South Holland.
The company is looking for 35 to 40 people who either are experienced industrial painters, welders with a minimum of one-year experience in the field, industrial electricians, millwrights (mechanics), quality control inspectors or press operators, said John Powley, human resources manager for Union Tank Car's East Chicago plant.
"These are all experienced positions," Powley said. "We're not looking for trainees. We're fortunate to have an experienced work force who can teach those who are novices to the tank car field, but have industrial experience."
Those who are unable to attend the job fairs can send their resumes to Powley at (219) 392-6196.
The jobs offer "good paying, union employment" to applicants, he said.
The plant's 610 hourly workers are members of Local 524 of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers. It currently has a total of 710 employees, with its employment level surging from 570 in late 2005 and 245 four years ago.
Ethanol is chiefly responsible for the jump in employment and the company's healthy order book, said company spokesman Bruce Winslow.
"It's the most important thing pushing the market," Winslow said. "It's going off the roof. There are no pipelines for ethanol and not enough tank cars. We supply tank cars to ethanol producers in the Midwest so they can send the product to refineries all over the country. We have orders stretching into 2008."
Chicago-based Union Tank Car's East Chicago plant is building 60 tank cars weekly. The company, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Marmon Group, also produces tank cars at its plants in Sheldon, Texas, and Alexandria, La.
"The market is strong," Winslow said. "All our plants are building cars right now."