ANDERSON — In business, it’s important to make connections. And that’s what Ohio-based Greenville Technology Inc. says it plans to do with area technical schools and community colleges as it builds an auto parts facility in Anderson.
GTI Anderson plans to employ 100 people when it opens in January. Bill LaFramboise, executive vice president of the facility in Greenville, Ohio, said the company will both accept people who have the skills and send new employees to training in technical areas such as electrical, robotics or welding at local institutes.
Both Purdue’s College of Technology in Anderson and Ivy Tech Community College were mentioned as possible partners.
“Purdue would be open to that, anything like that,” said Dennis Owen, Purdue’s interim director. “We would definitely be interested in partnering.”
Owen added that Purdue officials were at the groundbreaking Tuesday and that the college would fit well with GTI’s needs, especially being in such close proximity. He expects to see more interest in those technical fields.
LaFramboise said the Greenville location has partnered with institutes such as Hobart Welding Institute, Motoman Automation Equipment and Edison State Community College in Ohio. Internships are available at the college and high school levels, he said.
GTI Anderson’s jobs will be very similar to those at Greenville, with the exception of engineering roles. The facility here won’t be large enough for that, at least initially, he said.
“Regarding training costs, GTI arranges and pays for most training that is directly related to an associate’s job,” LaFramboise said.
The company also provides college tuition reimbursement for coursework that leads to career development within the company, he said.
Managerial and supervisory roles will require minimum education or experience requirements, he said.
“We try to take a balanced approach” when it comes to experience and education, LaFramboise said.
Some employees, such as managers and supervisors, will also be taken to the Ohio facility to see how things are done.
Later, some workers, like the quality manager and staff, for example, will head to global locations such as Japan to tour plants.
LaFramboise said operators don’t need machine experience; the company will provide training, though it helps to understand the factory setting. Assembly line workers and painters will also be trained by GTI.
LaFramboise said the company will do the majority of training at the GTI Anderson facility or, if it isn’t ready when training begins, at the Flagship Enterprise Center.
“There will be mocked-up lines to get people comfortable with the process and such,” he said.
The timeline calls for managers and supervisors to be hired by late August or early September, technicians by September or October, and assembly operators by November or December.
LaFramboise said GTI will train as people are hired.
A pay scale has not been determined, but jobs in the technical field will pay on average $15 an hour, while operators will make less and managers and supervisors will earn more.
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