'We want to hire locally': BlueOval SK recruits in West Tennessee for battery plant jobs
Corey Davis, Memphis Commercial Appeal
4 min read
BROWNSVILLE – People in West Tennessee interested in working at the BlueOval City campus got a chance Thursday — and will again Friday — to find out what opportunities could be a good fit for them.
BlueOval SK — part of BlueOval City’s future $5.6 billion campus in Stanton — kicked off its 2024 Hiring Roadshow in Tennessee on Thursday at Livingston’s Soda Fountain and Grill, 60 S. Washington Ave. on Brownsville’s town square. The event continues from 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday at Livingston's.
The BlueOval SK plant will produce advanced batteries for future Ford and Lincoln electric vehicles. It will employ about 2,500. Also at BlueOval City, Ford is building an assembly plant to make electric trucks. It will employ 3,300.
Tyler Stegall, talent and acquisition manager for BlueOval SK, told The Commercial Appeal that the company intends to get out in the communities in West Tennessee and recruit people for positions at the battery plant. With Brownsville only about 15 to 20 minutes away from the BlueOval City campus in Stanton, it was the ideal place to start.
“We wanted to get out in the local community, and where the heart of the town is and just talk to people about who we are, the jobs that we have and how they can get involved,” Stegall said. “We want to hire locally, and we want West Tennesseans to come out and work at BlueOval SK. We’re targeting all of the Memphis market as well as Northern Mississippi also and Arkansas."
What jobs are available at BlueOval SK?
A BlueOval SK recruitment poster can be seen as recruiters and other BlueOval SK staff speak with people interested in applying during a hiring event at Livingston’s Soda Fountain and Grill in Brownsville, Tenn., on Thursday, February 15, 2024.
Stegall said the plan is to employ 2,500 workers at BlueOval SK’s battery plant. He said the company’s website currently has more than 30 job opportunities posted. However, Stegall explained the objective of the hiring event in Brownsville was to promote what he described as BlueOval SK’s high-volume roles, which are the positions where the company plans to hire the most people.
Those jobs include production operators, maintenance technicians, associate maintenance technicians and quality operators. He said pay for production operators starts at $21 an hour. Stegall also stated there are two opportunities on BlueOval SK's maintenance team, where someone can make up to $37.50 per hour. The qualifications include being a certified maintenance technician or electrician, having years of experience in the role and having a journeyman’s card, which is a credential or certification that shows the completion of a certain level of training and education in a trade.
“If someone is interested in maintenance, it’s a great opportunity to get some good experience, grow your career and to get to the top of the pay scale and make some good money," Stegall said.
Stanley McNeil, a human resources recruiter with BlueOval SK, speaks with a man interested in jobs at BlueOval City during a hiring event at Livingston’s Soda Fountain and Grill in Brownsville, Tenn., on Thursday, February 15, 2024.
Stegall said interested job candidates shouldn't be deterred because of their educational background or experience level.
“We want people to know that they don’t have to have formal education other than your high school diploma or GED to qualify for these jobs and people don’t have to have experience in manufacturing,” he said. “We are committed to upskilling our workforce and to training people, so they can be successful in these jobs. If a person has never been in manufacturing or work for a plant before, don’t be scared to apply.”
Human resources representatives from BlueOval SK sat at tables inside Livingston’s dining room Thursday to answer about jobs at BlueOval SK and help people submit their applications online.
Jason Langston and Anthony Hendrix speak with Marquita Valadez, a human resources recruiter with BlueOval SK, during a hiring event at Livingston’s Soda Fountain and Grill in Brownsville, Tenn., on Thursday, February 15, 2024. BlueOval SK will employ 2,500 at its battery plant on the BlueOval City campus in Stanton, Tenn. Production is expected to start in 2025.
Anthony Hendrix, 19, was among the job applicants.
Hendrix attends the Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) in Jackson and the BlueOval City campus is about 5 minutes from where he lives. Hendrix said he applied for a position in maintenance. He used to work in maintenance at a local factory for four months after graduating from school, before deciding to increase his skills and attend TCAT.
Hendrix believes BlueOval's arrival is going to open up a lot of job opportunities for younger people. In addition to the battery plant, Ford will have
“A lot of these factories around here already have their main staff, which are like the older guys pretty much,” Hendrix said. “BlueOval is going to open up for a lot of the younger guys."
Shun Dean has been working at chemical plant Teknor Apex in Brownsville since December. Dean said he came out to apply for a production operator position at BlueOval SK. He said his past experience included six years as a production operator at Unilever Ice Cream plant in Covington.
“I have a lot of knowledge in factory, and I feel like, I would be a great fit at BlueOval,” Dean said. “I think having BlueOval come to this region is much needed because it’s not too many jobs like this in this area, and it’s really going to help grow areas like Brownsville and other surrounding areas.”
Marquita Valadez, a human resources recruiter with BlueOval SK, looks over hiring materials with people interested in jobs during a hiring event at Livingston’s Soda Fountain and Grill in Brownsville, Tenn., on Thursday, February 15, 2024. BlueOval SK will employ 2,500 at its battery plant on the BlueOval City campus in Stanton, Tenn. Production is expected to start in 2025.
When will production start at BlueOval SK?
BlueOvalSK’s battery plant at BlueOval City is currently under construction in Stanton.
Construction is on schedule with battery production slated to begin 2025.
Corey Davis is the Collierville and Germantown reporter with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at Corey.Davis@commercialappeal.com or 901-293-1610.
