“ Work is what you put into it,” Givens said.“ If you work hard, opportunities will come to you.”
Givens is not the only company officer who started at the company with a torch in his hand.
Gene Bolinger, Service Manager, started as an apprentice from a high school welding program. He’ s been with the company for 21 years.
“ I worked six years as a welder before I got into the service department,” Bolinger said.“ I worked up to team leader, then call manager, and then to service manager.”
The service department provides technical support, orders parts and tries to settle disputes.
“ I came in as receptionist with no skills,” Wolfe said.“ I asked questions and saw how the different office jobs worked. Now, I’ m subbing as an accounts payable representative.”
Wolfe hopes to move up if a permanent opening becomes available.
“ I think I have a head start toward getting a promotion,” she said.“ They can see how I perform in a higher position.”
Sometimes finding the right employees is hard, Weiser said. Workers must have basic math skills.
“ We find too many that can’ t do simple math and can’ t read a tape measure,” he added.
“ After the invoice, we take care of it,” Bolinger said.“ We have 18 service employees across the U. S. We also provide service in Puerto Rico, Canada and Mexico.”
Bolinger gave a lot of the credit for his advancement to a great group of leaders.
“ They took me under their wing,” he said.“ I was willing and eager to learn.”
Sami Wolfe hopes to be promoted after showing initiative.
Additionally, the company looks for people who are willing to put in the time it takes to learn the job.
“ If they are inside of three months on the job they might quit,” Bolinger said.
“ If they work for six months, we feel like they will stick with it,” he said.“ It will pay off for them in long run.”
The company’ s starting entrylevel pay is $ 12 to $ 15 per hour, but it goes up quickly, Givens said.
Medical, dental and vision insurance are part of the company’ s employee benefits. Other benefits include a 401( k) retirement plan, a company-paid life insurance policy, and vacation time that reaches five weeks per year after 15 years on the job.
According to the company, many employees appreciate J. V. Manufacturing’ s commitment to its workers.
“ People leave and then want to come back,” Givens said. The company probably has 100 employees who have worked there for 10 years, about 30 have over 20 years at the company, and 10 have over 30 years, Givens said.
If you are interested in a career at J. V. Manufacturing, you can apply at the company office at 701 Butterfield Coach Road in Springdale.
“ Don’ t be afraid to start small,” Wolfe said.“ That allows more room for improvement and advancement.” 51