Anniston Job Fair draws hundreds

Brian Graves, The Anniston Star, Ala.
·2 min read

Feb. 24—The second annual Anniston Job Fair drew more than 300 job seekers to the City Meeting Center on Thursday afternoon.

Although the number was down nearly 200 from last year, officials still see the event as being a success and a positive for those seeking work and those seeking workers.

The job fair originated with the city of Anniston, which teamed with the Calhoun County Area Chamber of Commerce and the Calhoun County Economic Development Council.

Chamber director of memberships and investor relations Kim Boyd said 70 companies — ten more than last year — sent representatives to the event, which saw a steady stream of potential applicants throughout the afternoon.

Those companies and agencies represented a wide spectrum of employment opportunities ranging from plumbing to law enforcement.

"We were really pleased to see the turnout," Boyd said. "It's great to have the opportunity to connect our local businesses with active job seekers in our area."

Lee Brass Company of Anniston was one of the companies seeking "energetic people from our community to join our team."

"Business is booming," said Lee Brass human relations director Carol Shears. "We need people to fill those spots and get the product out the door."

Shears said the job fair helps by letting people know the 108-year-old company is in business.

"A lot of people still haven't heard of us," Shears said. "Every time we come to the job fair we get to meet more and more people. We literally have people stopping us in the parking lot asking for applications."

Anniston City Manager Steven Folks credited the success of the job fair to public relations director Jackson Hodges and his department "who worked well with the Chamber and EDC to put the first one together and has done the same for this year."

"Most importantly, this is about doing what we can for the region," Folks said. "When we are talking about jobs we have to have somewhere where we can bring everybody together where they can actually see the opportunities we have here. It also shows we have a workforce available here with people who want to and are ready to work."

Staff Writer Brian Graves: 256-236-1551.