Allens, the vegetable canner that’s under contract to buy the former Ranch Style Beans plant in East Fort Worth, will come to town this week to begin looking for employees.The company, whose brands include Trappey’s, Sunshine, and Popeye’s, plans to hire 100 employees immediately and has scheduled a four-day hiring fair Wednesday-Saturday in Fort Worth.The workers will fill out two shifts, probably five days apiece, said James Phillips, vice president of corporate services for the Siloam Springs, Ark., company. The company expects to hire more workers after the initial round of hiring, he said.Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County, assisting Allens in putting on the hiring fairs, said Monday the company expects to increase its Fort Worth workforce to 150 within six months of its expected June opening.“We’re not sure what the number will be,” Phillips said. “We want to fully operate the facility. We expect to add jobs after we get this initial couple of shifts staffed.”The list of available positions includes 31 different job descriptions, ranging from administrative assistant, to boiler operator, electrician, forklift operator, maintenance, production manager, quality technician, sanitation, sauce room operator and assistant, truck driver, warehouse, and “yard dog.”The company will can and ship various canned beans and other vegetables from the Fort Worth plant, Allens’ first in Texas since it closed a Lindale plant in East Texas in the 1990s, Phillips said.Allens expects to close on its purchase within the next week or two, he said. The Fort Worth City Council is scheduled to vote on a tax abatement proposal for the company Tuesday.“It’s a nice facility, certainly a good customer base,” Phillips said, explaining why the company chose Fort Worth. “It seems like it has a pretty good workforce, and Texas is a good place to do business.”Allens sells its brand-name products to grocers such as HEB. It also produces for major food service companies like Sysco Corp. and Ben E. Keith.The company, founded in 1926, is family-owned. It produces 11 lines of canned and frozen vegetables and beans. The company says it was one of the first packers of sweet potatoes, which it still sells under the Sugary Sam, Princella and Royal Prince names. ALLENS JOB FAIRS
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Source: Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County
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