Need to hire a mechanic for performance shop in Orlando

Ever buy something you couldn't get open? Yeah, that's me. We're a custom thermoformer, making clamshells, blisters, trays, etc. Definitely not something you just jump into, which is why the pay is so high for an actual Technician. We see some button pushers in the market, which means they can start the machine and feed it plastic, but don't ask them to troubleshoot or improve the process. An actual Tech with critical thinking skills is where you get into the $65k-$125k range. Really top guys can get close to $150k, but that's many years in the industry with a really broad skillset. I will say that if you're good at troubleshooting in general, cars, bikes, whatever, then you can learn it. But starting with no experience you're probably looking at closer to $20-22 an hour to start. The entire industry is looking at a critical shortage of qualified people that is only getting worse. You could also go into machining, as that market is super strong and looking for new people as well. The pay isn't quite as high, but still decent.

 

Well now I have to hate you. Stupid crap ass plastic packaging...

 

The problem with that idea, is it relies on future generations of workers continuing to build the company into the future. If we had to fund a pension with the market we're looking at, we might as well close the doors now. That's certainly a big reason why pensions went by the wayside. The days of getting a job and working it the majority of your life, are long gone. That's where the pension structure made some sense. Now we have people that take a position, and use up all of their PTO within the first 3 months of working. Great way to provide future generations a stable pension income.

 

Yeah....I hate me too. It wasn't like this was my life's goal, but I was too big for MotoGP, so had to do something. I will say that it feeds the creative side of my brain, but essentially making garbage doesn't make me feel all warm and fuzzy. I have provided jobs for some really good people, and career paths that really weren't available to them anywhere else. We have a woman who works in our mold shop, and being a machinist in the country she came from was not ever an option. She had the interest and the drive to learn it, and now she's unstoppable. Plus she makes more than she ever imagined she could. And before anybody assumes, she's from Honduras but a US citizen now.

 

Oh..I don't care about the trash creation. I care about the aggrivation it causes me getting what i want out if it.

I wouldn't lose any sleep. How do you think I feel about supplying part of the mechanism used to dumb people down on a daily basis?

Good for her though. I like it when people dig into and excel at something and better their lot in life doing so.

 

Youre not offering anything better than my second comment. So, you have those problems.

 

Word. We can't find enough people to dig a hole with a shovel at $45 /hr....'Kids' just don't realize that a good living/life could be had starting at a very early age by doing some good ole fashion physical labor. No diploma necessary. Put the PS4 down, pass the cigarillo and get your ass up and go to work.

There are a few 'youngsters' in their mid-late 20's, that have been with us for 4-5 yrs and have over $150k in 401k already.

 

Fix Forklifts

 

Hey we’re in the same industry. Going to Spain to commission a new thermoformer for medical field in a few weeks. I’m usually flow and stretch wrappers.

Everything he said is spot on. I knew nothing, came from aircraft maintenance world but learned all my skills on the job. Troubleshooting theory did come from airplane wrenching days though.

 

I am not sure you have had some of the same cubicle bosses I've had. 'Cause they out there....

 

Well....I could offer something 'better' like a pension...let's play that out. You retire with a nice fat pension after dedicating your efforts to the company. Now I'm hiring people who aren't like you, who don't want to actually work, but want to get paid big money. I have no choice, because there aren't any people like you anymore, so I take what I can get and try and work out a plan to still be profitable. Eventually, I can't afford to fund the pension plan, and we close the company or close the plan. Hmm....I'm thinking giving 5% on top of their 401k's and profit sharing today, seems like a better carrot. We can agree to disagree.

 

It's truly an awesome thing to see. She's literally giddy every day, and constantly thanks me for the opportunity. I tell her it wasn't me that made it happen. She owns it. There are exceptions to the no-effort, no-ethic, no-brain people that we typically see.

 

We stay out of medical now. It used to be like printing money, but now it's become like any other industry. They drive you down till you have no margin, but you do get the added benefit of all the legal exposure if some doctor leaves some tools in a patient.
Stretch or shrink? Flow is a whole different animal, that's for sure. So are you working with the machine builder, or your company is actually putting a new machine on line?

 

Its the condescending tone at the beginning is where the problem lies. We can agree to disagree. With that tone, your future employees are at said cubicles with about the salary you quoted, without the tone.

 

True. But HR can curb some of those individuals.

 

I just looked up thermoforming on indeed.com. Within 100 miles of ATL I saw pay range between $15-$25/hr with most falling into high teens.

If there is a critical shortage of qualified people, the pay range doesn't reflect this.

I'm not saying you're wrong in your assessment of the industry but I have found that the same industries that have issues finding competent employees are the same ones that don't want pay for them. In the same area being a warehouse picker starts at $1000/week and that job requires no trade skill.

Holding out this carrot of "one day you'll get there" with no clear path of actually getting there isn't a very good way of enticing people to waste years of their life getting mediocre pay so maybe they can get lucky one day.

Anyways, this is a never ending debate between who sucks more the employers and employees. I'm just suggesting the truth might be more in the middle then some of you care to admit.

 

I have 2 shovels. where do I sign? seriously what is the job description?

 

We're the US subsidiary of the Spanish machine builder. Our primary focus is industrial food packaging. Cargills, JBS, Tyson, Nestle, Kraft, Smithfield etc. So i guess you can call us the machine builder, although no machines get made in US. Manufactured in Spain and Italy.

Medical is something theyve been wanting to expand into for a while. Thats a whole another level of sanitation requirements....we'll see.

 

Indeed? Lol, no tech is on Indeed. Its all linkedin head hunters or word of mouth.

Kinda like how you see all the same trash people on dating apps all the time? Its cuz the normal people come and go. Those people advertising for 15-25? Thats why theyre on there. Decently paid roles get filled up and disappear off the grid.

Starting salary for a tech in my company is in the $32 an hour. three weeks of vacation start, profit sharing after 5 years, xmas bonus, overtime if you want it.

Cant find the people. We're not offering enough incentive for someone to jump ship.

 

Oh. Interesting find! Thanks for posting that!