BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Companies in the City of Good Neighbors want those impacted by the Sumitomo Rubber closure to know they are hiring.
With a total of 1,500 people out of a job, some local businesses are spreading the word about employment opportunities.
Sumitomo said the closure comes after an extended examination of the facility's viability. The evaluation found mounting material and logistics costs, dated infrastructure, intermittent financial performance and changing market conditions. You can watch our previous report below and read more here.
The Basil family of dealerships is just one of the local companies offering a helping hand.
Basil posted a message saying it is looking for workers with strong mechanical skills for jobs that pay $70,000 the first year.
"We have 10 locations across Western New York, we're always looking for great people and there's a lot of similarities through manufacturing and production at Sumitomo and what we do in our dealerships," said Joe Basil. "Right now I think we have 70 different positions available across the 10 locations."
'We can help a lot," said Mark Hayes who owns a staffing agency in Orchard Park. "We do have a lot of manufacturers that are looking for people and maybe it's a C and C Operator, a maintenance mechanic. It runs anything in those skill trades from the labor all the way up through management."
The New York State Department of Labor will also be holding a job fair on December 3, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Lincoln Park Athletic Complex at 1200 Parker Blvd in the Town of Tonawanda. Invitations to the job fair are being mailed to all Sumitomo employees.
