Some Bradenton workplaces are bucking the trend by hiring during the pandemic
Although more than 900,000 Floridians have filed unemployment assistance claims since the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic, some Bradenton area companies are hiring.
Among them are Lowe’s, Wal-Mart, Target, Publix, Dunkin Donuts and Wendy’s, according to CareerSource Suncoast.
Florida’s retail sector partially reopens on Monday, with Bealls and Ellenton Premium Outlets serving walk-in traffic for the first time in more than a month. The Mall at University Town Center follows at 11 a.m. Wednesday. Preliminary hours at the Mall at UTC are 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 11-6 on Sunday.
“With reduced operating hours we do expect to utilize our existing associates to reopen,” said Daniel J. Doyle, senior human resources director for Bealls Inc., in an email. “But as we return to normal business hours we may see the need to hire additional staff if some of our associates decide not to return.”
Aside from the retail sector, a wide variety of employers are looking to hire.
Packaging manufacturer New England Machinery, 2820 62nd Ave. E., Bradenton, has a workforce of 60 and is looking to add seven to eight staff members.
New England Machinery, in business for 46 years, makes equipment for pharmaceutical, food and beverage, and chemical companies, said Judith Nickse, president and CEO.
Among the open jobs are an inventory control manager, machine shop manager, plant manager, director of sales, project manager and territory sales manager, she said.
“We have full benefits, including full medical and full dental, and we pay very competitive salaries,” Nickse said.
“In the beginning of the pandemic, many active projects were delayed. In the past few weeks we are beginning to see more and more activity. I think that will continue as we begin to see light at the end of the tunnel,” she said.
To apply at New England Machinery, visit https://www.neminc.com/careers.
Roseanne Gutmann, regional human resources director for Centerstone, said her not-for-profit health care organization has about 50 open positions in the Bradenton-Sarasota area.
Centerstone provides mental health care, addiction treatment and community education.
There are job openings for RNs, LPNs, behavioral health technicians, licensed therapists, house keepers and dietary staff.
About half of Centerstone’s staff is working remotely during the coronavirus pandemic. Centerstone has not had any layoffs or furloughs, Gutmann said.
For more information and to apply, visit https://centerstone.org/contact/careers/.
Don Zirkelbach of Taylor Made Systems said his company did have to make some furloughs when the pandemic hit, but has been calling those workers back and is looking to add five to 10 more.
Boat covers, canvas, and shade systems are among the products at Taylor Made Systems.
Taylor Made, a bilingual workplace that has been in the Bradenton area since 1998, has openings for research and development engineers, supervisors, sewers and assemblers. Starting pay ranges from $13-$18 an hour.
Zirklebach is looking to fill five to 10 positions for the workforce of about 140. Applications can be completed on-site in the Taylor Made lobby at 1900 47th Terrace E. The business is located in the Manasota Industrial Park. For more information about Taylor Made visit https://www.taylormadeproducts.com/
Also looking for help is Manatee County government with 23 positions posted for employment, ranging from entry-level to highly experienced. These positions include lifeguards and camp counselors, fleet maintenance (mechanic), public works maintenance technicians and utilities maintenance and mapping technicians, paramedics, engineers, financial analysts, and a cyber security technical lead position, said Kim Stroud, director of human resources.
Applicants can go to mymantee.org to see openings.
“At Manatee County government, we put great effort into ensuring that the total rewards package for our employees is engaging and highly competitive. Our focus within our organization is to offer a package that creates high employee engagement with a focus on overall well being: financial, emotional, physical, social/community and career,” Stroud said in an email. “We are proud of this employment package and find that it, along with our ACE Philosophy of Accountability, Civility and Ethics, results in employees investing in our community and working hard to serve its citizens.”
Among other companies listed as hiring on the CareerSource Suncoast website, https://careersourcesuncoast.com/companies/, are PepsiCo/Tropicana, Flowers Baking Company, Harbor Freight Tools, and Gold Coast Eagle Distributing, and more.
CareerSource Suncoast announced Friday that it is receiving $40,000 from United Way Suncoast that it will use to provide additional financial support to job seekers who need to acquire and keep a job. They will focus on getting resources directly into the hands of clients to sustain them during this pandemic while employment opportunities are extremely limited.
Another resource for those looking for work is the jobsfocus.com website, hosted by the Manatee Chamber of Commerce.
Unemployment assistance claims are filed online at https://floridajobs.org/.
This story was originally published May 1, 2020 at 2:53 PM.
