CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WKBW) — News that both Grief Packing and Truck-Lite will soon be winding down production is painful news to the more than 130 Western New Yorkers who depend on these plants for a paycheck.
A Greif spokesperson said it was due to current market conditions, and that they had less demand and excess capacity.
Truck-Lite cited their reason as "economic."
But President and CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Manufacturing Alliance, Peter Coleman, said employment in the manufacturing industry is actually going up.
"It's the strongest sector in Western New York. There's 1,500 manufacturers in Erie and Niagara county employing close to 65,000 people," he said.
So what should people seeking manufacturing jobs do? Coleman said to reach out to employment agencies.
One hiring agency is Express Employment Professionals. They are having a safe and socially distant drive-thru job fair nearly 85 industrial jobs.
"We're going to have this tent, and we're inviting folks to come out to our drive through job fair. They pull up to the tent, they remain in their car, we conduct the interview across social distancing," said Darren Moscato, Franchise owner of Express Employment Professionals. "If they're a good fit for the job we have hiring managers from our employers there at the job fair, ready to make hiring decisions and them right to work."
"Right now in the Buffalo area - looking at the June data - we're up significantly. The manufacturing index for our local regions is very high, it's 62. Fifty would be a rate of growth and we're at 62," said Coleman.
The positions will be located throughout Cheektowaga, West Seneca, Lancaster and other communities south of Buffalo.
Positions start at $15.50 per hour.
The drive-thru job fair will take place from noon to 2 p.m. at the corner of French Road and Union Road in Cheektowaga. The event is open to the public but you can pre-register here, or by calling Express Employment Professionals in West Seneca at (716) 800-4311.
