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By JOYANNA LOVE/ Managing Editor

O-flex Metal Finishing in Clanton recently held its first job fair in an effort to find qualified candidates and hire them directly.

“We started doing direct hiring basically because of the economy and not being able to find the right people,” Stefanie Player, senior HR manager, said.

The job fair gave potential employees the opportunity to learn about the positions available at O-flex and submit an application.

With 25 people attending, Player said the response was good.

“It was a good turnout for our first one,” Player said. “We worked with the Chamber of Commerce. We worked with the Alabama Career Center in Clanton, and we worked with Kelsey’s place and just word of mouth. It seemed like a pretty good turn out.”

Interviews are being scheduled as the company looks to fill eight positions.

Player said the company is looking at having a job fair on an annual basis.

Those interested in applying for a job at O-Flex can do so in the HR department of the company at 725 Keystone Drive. More information is also available at oflex.com

Troy Thompson, plant manager, said the company does metal finishing for automotive parts, mostly roof rack systems.

“We are a two-tier supplier,” Thompson said.

After the components are finished they are sent to another company for assembly.

“Our end customers are usually BMW, Ford, Chrysler, General Motors,” Thompson said. “We do some Subaru. We do some Nissan.”

Products worked on at the Clanton plant are shipped to plants in the U.S. as well as exported to Mexico and Thailand.

The plant has 90 employees.

O-flex’s parent company Ohtsuka, which is based in Japan, will have been in business for 100 years in 2021, Thompson said. The Clanton plant became O-flex in 2007.