The Kentucky Career Center is partnering with the National Guard to host a Heatwave Hiring Event in response to Daramic’s closure and the recently announced closing of Hickory Springs.
The hiring event is set for August 6 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the National Guard Amory in Owensboro.
Melissa Roberts, the business services consultant for Equus Workforce Solutions and the Kentucky Career Center, said they have already confirmed that more than 30 companies will attend, and more are expected to join.
The employers attending are listed below.
- Alcoa
- Mizkan
- Kimball International
- Yager Materials
- Equus Workforce Solutions
- Wendell Foster
- Disaster Team
- The Housing Authority of Owensboro
- Waupaca
- Audobon Metals
- Pratt Industries
- TTMA
- Commonwealth Rolled Products
- The City of Owensboro
- Corn Island Shipyard
- Marquette Transportation Company
- Gibbs
- Schwartz Heating and Cooling
- 323 Staffing Solutions
- Vibracoustic
- Century Aluminum
- Brewco Marketing Group
- Sun Windows and Doors
- Menards
- Express Employment Professionals
- Ken-tron
- Keller Williams Realty
- Owensboro Community and Technical College
- Henderson Community College
- Daviess County jailer
- 160 Driving Academy
- MedCertify
- Kentucky Army National Guard
- Hercules
“The event aims to provide immediate employment opportunities for displaced workers and to support the local economy during this challenging time,” Roberts said.
Owensboro Times was the first to report about Daramic’s closure, which left 156 people without jobs.
Local leaders, including Michelle Drake with the Green River Area Development District, responded quickly and presented a unified message that there remain several job openings in Owensboro and Daviess County.
Drake said there are “plenty of employers that are looking for individuals to work” in Daviess County and surrounding areas.
“The manufacturing industry has definitely bounced back since COVID,” she said previously. “It’s terrible that Daramic is closing its doors, but there are many other manufacturing facilities that are looking for employees.”
Word began surfacing late last week that Hickory Springs Manufacturing, a supplier of diversified components for the bedding and furniture industry, would also close its Owensboro facility.
Both Roberts and Drake confirmed the facility is set to close in September. OT has reached out numerous times over several days to the local Hickory Springs facility and their corporate office for comment but has received no response.
Jamie Johnson is the Vice President of Workforce Development, Small Business, and Entrepreneurship for the Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corporation (GOEDC). She expressed her gratitude to GRADD and KCC for their swift response.
“GRADD and the Kentucky Career Center’s quick action with programs and support are essential to our community,” Johnson said. “By bringing together a diverse group of employers and providing valuable career resources, they are creating opportunities for those affected to secure new employment. Their dedication shows their strong commitment to fostering a supportive and resilient workforce in Owensboro.”
