Hiring for Broughton Hospital project lures hundreds | News

MORGANTON, NC  (WBTV) – Construction on a new Broughton State Hospital will begin in a few weeks in Morganton and the General Contractor and Sub-Contractors are looking for help to do it. A job fair was held at the hospital's gymnasium Thursday morning to find people who could fill the slots that construction companies need. "We will be hiring skilled tradesman," said Chris Hayes of CamFul industries out of Charlotte which handles plumbing and other jobs. That company is one of several which will be involved in the 130 million dollar project. Archer-Western is the general contractor on the job. Officials said they wanted to hire local workers because it would be easier and more cost efficient than transporting employees to and from the job site. Most of the sub-contractors involved are in the Charlotte area, more than an hour's drive from the job site.

"We want to hire as many local workers as we can," said Joe Frazier of Sears Contract, Inc. That company specializes in steel framework and drywall installation. "We need laborers and skilled professionals," he said.  Johnny Tucker put his application in with Frazier. "I do drywall and about anything," he said. Frazier and other sub contractors will narrow down the applications and conduct interviews in the coming weeks.

The Broughton Hospital construction is slated to begin in two weeks. Another contractor spent several months last year tearing down seven buildings on the campus to make room for the new hospital.  Construction is expected to last well into next year.

Officials said there is no hard number as to how many local people will be hired but one contractor said he expects "it will be a significant number."

Many applicants said they had been out of work for months and some said years because of the slowdown in construction during the recession. Company that are hiring said it is possible that those who do find work could hold on to those jobs after the Broughton project is finished. It depends, they say, on whether the economic recovery picks up steam and how many projects they are involved in at the time.

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