Local officials recruiting laid off workers in Emporia
Cowley First will participate in a job fair in Emporia on Feb. 16 along with area business representatives, in response to the recent layoff of 1500 employees at the Emporia Tyson Foods plant.
Debra Teufel, Cowley First director is coordinating an effort with local businesses and partners.
Cowley First, the Cowley Workforce Center and the local Chambers of Commerce already have contacted several local businesses interested in attending.
According to Janet Siebert of the Arkansas City Area Chamber, Creekstone Farms will be in Emporia this week as well. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I thought Creekstone employees were only getting 24-32 hours per week. Are they really hiring? Anyone got some scoop on this one?
Hours per week aren't the issue. The hours drop down when the market is less, that is normal, just like the hours increase when sales are up. They process so many cattle per hour and that is what sets how many hours they work.
This issue they are dealing with is they require so many positions along the chain regardless of how many they kill. Even just 1 has to go through all of the different positions. Fortunately, these people have experience and already understand that so will know what to expect.
Another huge factor is that these displaced workers don't have to work at Creekstone. We have a number of other plants (Rubbermaid, KSQ now PPG, and others) that are also desperate for workers. We have a great opportunity to bring people into Ark City and the county. The bad side to this is: do we have enough housing, do we have the amenities (retail, entertainment...) to draw these people, are they willing to relocate. They need jobs, we have them, but is Ark City attractive enough to bring them here?
There will be several employers plus Cowley First there to represent us. It could be a really great step, if we have what it takes.
It would be interesting to have a survey for these people to fill out at this "job fair". What are they looking for in a town? If we can not draw them in this time, perhaps we could work on our weaknesses for next time.
Personally, I think that it may have more to do with the "job opportunities" than with our town. Most of the jobs really do not pay very well and the benefits are less than desirable. My husband drives to Wichita just to get decent health care coverage. Honestly, his wages are just slightly higher than say, Rubbermaid. Also, he does not have to work 12 hour shifts and the work conditions are much more desirable. Packing houses and plastic manufacturing are tough fields to work in for such little pay/benefits. I know at one time, any work at all was a good thing. It seems time have changed, and the employers are having to compete for the labor market. Have you ever heard of GE having problems hiring? I don't think so!
Oh, and now I am going to vent. I know this has nothing to do with out town, but... With there being so many jobs out there, why would anyone in this town be on welfare? What percentage of our town is on welfare?
Also, back to the employers and this city... From the demographic info I pulled up, I only saw an average household income raise of about $1,000/year from 2000 to 2006. Maybe we need some jobs which actually pay more than "poverty" rate? I hear there is a very high percentage of school children in this town who qualify for reduced/free lunches.
Not trying to be negative but stirring up discussion:
Why would employers want to come here?
To not sound negative but wouldn't the question have better been said, why wouldn't employers want to come here? I for one can think of one huge reason....Taxes....Why would they want to come here and pay this much tax for no more than they would be getting.....We all pay taxes on Federal, state, county, and there is not much left over for us. I can see why they may look elsewhere. I am most certian is isn't because we don't have a Lowes store.
Honestly, you are right. There is a distribution problem as we are too far from major rail depots for loading and unloading goods. Also, many ltl carriers prefer not to service this area. They consider us a "rural" location and do not come to our area on a daily basis. However, I believe this would change if industry would increase in this area.
I know we stirred up quite a debate over Lowe's coming to town. However, if the city wanted to give incentive to industry to come in they would have my vote. Lowe's does pay a little better than minimum wage and has fairly good benefits. However, we have many job opportunities in this town already meeting this criteria. I would like to see industry come in which pays well! Perhaps these employers do not exist in the good old US of A any more? I know most can get cheaper labor overseas.
Cheap labor Cheap land, Cheap housing Being located next to a major trade route especially if the TTR-35 gets the green light for the Kansas extension. [I see the rail portion is already throwing out feelers] A good industrial park [Strother field] A develpers dream [the growth potential and available area to develop] A good Community College
Downside.....a city with no set in stone plan for development/growth [good studies though:) that doen't seem to work with other groups very well, no real incentives in place [whereas other small towns around here do] and says no too much to good opportunities that come down the pike [especialy outside ones]
Also, not much interest in what the world around Ark City is doing.
Too bad though because this town seems to have great potential.
Speaking of rail, besides passenger service in the future, we are hoping to take more advantage of the railroad very soon.
One of the key reasons for building the bypass on Kansas over the railroad tracks is to make us a better location for loading and unloading here in Ark City. There is a federal law that requires trains to not block street traffic for more than 10 minutes (there are some other rules about moving and such). This means that trains usually have to move several times while loading and unloading. By creating the overpass and closing off Radio Lane and Poplar, trains will be able to sit as long as necessary to get the job done.
BNSF is well aware of this, and we are hoping the Ark City becomes the hub of rail traffic in southern Kansas and Northern Oklahoma. With I-35 nearby, at the crossroads of 166 and 77 we have a great opportunity. We just have to see how well it pays off.
There is also city owned and other available land along the tracks for future development and industry. BNSF owns quite a bit of land along the tracks too. A lot of potential, but I'm not sure who is aware of it.
Pat, I assume the passenger train will pass thru AC once per day. I know I am just dreaming here, but wouldn't it be great to have multiple commutes to Wichita or OKC? A person could live here and ride the train to work, keeping traveling expenses down as gas goes up. Just a thought. Perhaps there would not be enough demand, but could be an enticement for people to live here who work in Wichita or OKC. Maybe some day in the future...
We're working on the first step. After that it will depend on which direction we work, and being able to prove it's usefulness.
I'd love to be able to go to Wichita and back in the same day by train. I might even take a day off once in a while to enjoy it. Or a day trip to Oklahoma City, or any of the smaller towns.
I can see a lot of potential, but we have to get other people to see it too, then take advantage of it.
Patrick, the rail service to the cities is one that we agree on, I too would like to see twice daily rail service in both directions. Good luck on this one.
Pat, I assume the passenger train will pass through AC once per day. I know I am just dreaming here, but wouldn't it be great to have multiple commutes to Wichita or OKC? A person could live here and ride the train to work, keeping traveling expenses down as gas goes up. Just a thought. Perhaps there would not be enough demand, but could be an enticement for people to live here who work in Wichita or OKC. Maybe some day in the future...
motherof2 that would be a great ideal but just a few thoughts to go along with that one. Suppose you can ride the train back and forth to each town in a day, that should or could help gas prices go down because the demand would be less right? But since the companies have an obligation to it's stock holders would that only reduce the cost of gas at the pump for automobiles and force them to raise the cost of fuel for the railroad only causing the ticket price to go up like in the airline industry ? And then there is still that nasty thought of once you get to your destination, how then do you get around, rent a high price rental or catch a expensive cab around town ? And where would you do most of your spending for goods there where you have more competitive prices and more styles to choose from? And then again when you get home will you feel like going out to spend time spending money in your community or will you just want to rest from the long day's ride back and forth to work or will or could you be tempted to stay there all week and then retrieve yourself back to the slower pace Ark City for the weekend? Then you have to to think with all the negative stuff being said about different new types of people moving into our community who would leave there and come here only to turn back because of the attitude we have here about different races of people moving into Payton Place Ark City? I guess being able to get out of here might just cause more to leave than to come or stay with all the many more opportunities already there and the higher paying jobs too. This might shrink the tax base and cause less people to have to pay for the larger schools with less students to teach? I not trying to be negative but more open minded to what could happen with daily commutes back and forth. It just seems to me that more people find what they want in a job faster elsewhere than here and most people want it right now, that is $10 or more an hour than the $10 or less we have here! It's just a thought of what could happen. (OKAY) Just doing some day dreaming
We're working on the first step. After that it will depend on which direction we work, and being able to prove it's usefulness.
I'd love to be able to go to Wichita and back in the same day by train. I might even take a day off once in a while to enjoy it. Or a day trip to Oklahoma City, or any of the smaller towns.
I can see a lot of potential, but we have to get other people to see it too, then take advantage of it.
Patrick
Hey Pat just a joke for you , Who will mind your store and the city while you are out sight seeing up and down the railroad? Better get the river front project going and the bike hike trail real soon. STEP 1b LOL
I was just dreaming, too. I really was looking at it as a way to get back and forth to work. My husband and I have asked ourselves several times why we do not move closer to Wichita. I think it's just the ties we have to this community. We are very happy with the school our boys attend (Sacred Heart), the hunting access my husband has, the fact that our house is almost paid off and my family ties. Other than that, I'm not sure why we are still here. Must be enough to stay? We would like to see a cheaper way for my husband to get back and forth to work, though. He said that he would park his car at the rail station in Wichita and get back and forth this way. It would take a very active rail system to make this work. Thus, I know I am in la-la land about this one. Just throwing it out there.
I haven't taken a day off (except Sundays, Christmas, New Years and Thanksgiving) in 3 years. If we get passenger service I might just close up shop for a week!
If any of my customers complain I'll tell them you said it was OK :)
CALLUS wrote:motherof2 that would be a great ideal but just a few thoughts to go along with that one. Suppose you can ride the train back and forth to each town in a day, that should or could help gas prices go down because the demand would be less right? But since the companies have an obligation to it's stock holders would that only reduce the cost of gas at the pump for automobiles and force them to raise the cost of fuel for the railroad only causing the ticket price to go up like in the airline industry ? And then there is still that nasty thought of once you get to your destination, how then do you get around, rent a high price rental or catch a expensive cab around town ? And where would you do most of your spending for goods there where you have more competitive prices and more styles to choose from? And then again when you get home will you feel like going out to spend time spending money in your community or will you just want to rest from the long day's ride back and forth to work or will or could you be tempted to stay there all week and then retrieve yourself back to the slower pace Ark City for the weekend? Then you have to to think with all the negative stuff being said about different new types of people moving into our community who would leave there and come here only to turn back because of the attitude we have here about different races of people moving into Payton Place Ark City? I guess being able to get out of here might just cause more to leave than to come or stay with all the many more opportunities already there and the higher paying jobs too. This might shrink the tax base and cause less people to have to pay for the larger schools with less students to teach? I not trying to be negative but more open minded to what could happen with daily commutes back and forth. It just seems to me that more people find what they want in a job faster elsewhere than here and most people want it right now, that is $10 or more an hour than the $10 or less we have here! It's just a thought of what could happen. (OKAY) Just doing some day dreaming
I see this as a great opportunity. People that live in Wichita but can't afford to commute would have an opportunity to move to Ark City! People that like small town life, but can only find work in their field in Wichita would have a choice. We would have the advantage better prices on housing, quiet safer neighborhoods, a relaxed atmosphere, and the other things only a small town can offer. Having more people would in turn create more retail and entertainment. I'm sure there would be many more changes.
But all of that is a ways off into the future if at all. Before we can realize a dream like that we have to take the first step and work to get the passenger rail started. There will have to be many more steps afterwards to achieve those things.
It's still great to dream. That's just one way to build our future.
It seems AC is going full circle on the railroad. We were once an important hub here, with train riding to all sorts of places. What about a leisure train ride to Topeka, Kansas City, Oklahoma City or some where. Dinning cars or serving bars for short trip in a luxury car? I rode the train from Winfield to Topeka back in 1970. One of the most rememberable times I have ever had and no it was not a luxury ride, just a window seat. The gentle swaying of the ride and the politeness of all on board was awesome.
(OKAY) Just doing some day dreaming 
