Henderson Co. Chamber hosts job fair ahead of local layoffs

LEXINGTON, Tenn. — This week brought some good news for one local community expected to lose nearly 200 jobs over the next year. The Henderson County Chamber of Commerce hosted a job fair Tuesday with companies trying to fill dozens of positions.

People looking for a job met with potential employers at First United Methodist Church in Lexington.

Aneisha Kizer is a college student trying to find work. “It’s just hard in general trying to find a job because it’s a lot of people who are unemployed,” she said.

The Leroy-Somer manufacturing plant in Lexington announced plans last week to reduce its workforce by 180 positions.

Henderson County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kimberly Douglass said the good news is other companies are hiring. “Number wise I know that AutoZone is looking to fill 100 positions,” she said.

McKenzie Tree Service, one of the employers at Tuesday’s job fair, said it has between 20 and 25 positions to fill. “Entry level all the way up to experienced equipment operators,” McKenzie Tree Service CEO Clint Sanders said.

Douglass said some of these employers require applicants to pass a test before they can be hired.

“I feel motivated,” Sheri Read, a job applicant, said.

Kizer said she is optimistic. “They have a lot of job opportunities here,” she said.

Companies said these open positions require a variety of skill levels, some just a high school diploma and others more advanced training.

The Chamber of Commerce said they plan to follow up with people who attended Tuesday’s job fair and see who got hired.