Caterpillar hosting job fair Thursday to fill about 60 positions

Noe Padilla, Lafayette Journal & Courier
·2 min read
Seth Woolever, an assembly technician at caterpillar, inspects the part before starting the assembly process of a C 175 engine, on June 28, 2022, in Lafayette.
Seth Woolever, an assembly technician at caterpillar, inspects the part before starting the assembly process of a C 175 engine, on June 28, 2022, in Lafayette.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — For anyone who has driven down South Street over the past 40 years, they know what sits behind the Caterpillar sign.

They may wondered what goes on inside of one of Lafayette’s largest employer facilities, the Caterpillar Large Engine Center -- perhaps hoped for a job there.

Those questions could be answered because on Thursday, Caterpillar will host a job fair from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Caterpillar welcome center.

Bailey Medley, human resources manager for Caterpillar's Lafayette location, speaks about new job opportunities that Caterpillar plans to offer at a job fair June 30 at the Caterpillar welcome center.
Bailey Medley, human resources manager for Caterpillar's Lafayette location, speaks about new job opportunities that Caterpillar plans to offer at a job fair June 30 at the Caterpillar welcome center.

“We are looking to fill up about 60 positions and those positions span across assembly, machine shop and skilled trade,” said Bailey Medley, the human resources manager for the Caterpillar Lafayette location.

For the three different jobs, Medley said that assembly technicians could make up to $27.74 an hour; machinists could make up to $32.55 an hour; and skilled trades could make up to $38.97 an hour.

“In addition to the pay I was just talking about; we offer a really competitive benefits package. One hundred percent 401k match, up to 6 percent, 144 hours of paid time off to new employees and a great benefits package as well.”

"We also have sign-on bonuses for new employees coming in that range from $1,000 to $2,000, so we do feel that's a good method and we've been trying to spread the word through our employees and that engagement in the community," said Medley.

Joe Markun, the general manager of the Lafayette location, and Greg Folkerts, a Caterpillar tour guide, talk about the productive day that the facility had on June 28, 2022, in Lafayette.
Joe Markun, the general manager of the Lafayette location, and Greg Folkerts, a Caterpillar tour guide, talk about the productive day that the facility had on June 28, 2022, in Lafayette.

Joe Markun, the general manager of the Lafayette location, highlighted that as the world starts to come out of the pandemic, the demand for engines produced in the Lafayette facility has continued to grow.

“In Lafayette, for some of the engines we make here, we are the sole source. We provide products around the world. This isn’t just domestic; half of our business goes overseas. Our business is coming back and it’s booming,” said Markun.

“We see a lot of good demand for our business, so we have to flex our workforce. We need to get people here to produce the products that we need for our customers. We’re growing based on the demand for our product.”

For anyone interested in applying for a position at Caterpillar’s job fair, it’s highly recommended that applicants bring a resume to speed up the process.

For more information on career opportunities, you can visit the Caterpillar website at careers.caterpillar.com.

Noe Padilla is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. Email him at Npadilla@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter at 1NoePadilla.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Caterpillar hosting job fair Thursday to fill about 60 positions