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UK-based heavy equipment manufacturer JCB announced it will hold monthly hiring events after its job fair last week drew about 500 applicants.
The global company manufactures equipment used in construction, industry and agriculture. Equipment rental companies are among its largest customers.
The job fair was JCB's first major local hiring event as it works to fill 1,500 positions for its South Side plant, which opens later this year.
"The job fair welcomed candidates for a wide range of hourly positions, including Logistics, Assembly, Fabricator, Quality Control, Maintenance, Forklift Drivers, Machinist, Paint Technicians, Welders and more," according to a company news release.
JCB conducted on-the-spot interviews with candidates at its plant construction site.
“We were thrilled with the fair’s turnout, and even more impressed by the quality of the candidates we met,” said Rick Barquero, vice president of Human Resources at JCB Texas. “We saw applicants with strong, diverse manufacturing skill sets across welding, machining, quality control and more. It confirms what we believed when we chose San Antonio for this facility. This city has a talented, motivated workforce ready to build something great with us.”
Goodwill San Antonio, Alamo Workforce Solutions, and Somerset ISD offered support for the job fair by connecting applicants with the company.
Candidates who were unable to attend the job fair are encouraged to apply online.
Around 300 are expected to be hired this year and the rest, gradually, until around 1,500 are hired by 2028, according to a memorandum of understanding between the family owned company and the city and county.
When completed, JCB's $500 million plant will span 1 million square feet.
