Area-wide 2007 Job Fair set for June 30

NEVADA, Mo. -- In response to the loss of large regional employers, local and regional organizations are teaming up to provide Nevada, Lamar, Fort Scott and other surrounding communities with the 2007 Job Fair.

The Nevada Daily Mail/Nevada News, KNEM/KNMO Radio, The Lamar Democrat, First Christian Church of Nevada, and Sauder Woodworking have joined together to create a job fair for O'Sullivan Industries (in Lamar, Mo.) employees and others in the surrounding area looking for employment.

The 2007 Job Fair will be conducted from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 30, in the First Christian Church fellowship hall, 101 E. Austin in Nevada, Mo.

"Not only is this fair for local citizens, but it is also for anyone looking to move to the area and searching for a job here for themselves or for their family," Julie Righter, the publisher of The Nevada Daily Mail and The Fort Scott Tribune, said. "We hope to give people a reason and a means to stay in the community to help not only our citizens here, but to help our community grow economically as well. All of us hope to help those who have lost one job to find another so that families won't have to relocate and kids won't have to change schools simply because of a job loss."

Employers of all types and sizes, as well as educational facilities, are being recruited from Vernon, Barton, Bourbon and surrounding counties in Missouri and Kansas to attend the job fair in hopes of offering all available opportunities to job seekers, the statement from Beerbower said.

The job fair sponsors said they see the importance of keeping community members in our area.

"Our radio station's purpose for participating is to help employees being displaced by the closing of O'Sullivan's," KNEM/KNMO Radio co-owner Mike Harbit said. "Even though it is located in Lamar, they are still in our listening area, and we still hope to help them in any way possible to find employment and keep them in our area. Not only does keeping job seekers in our area help tremendously with the economic side of things, but we really hope to bring job seekers and their families together to work as a team to improve our community as well."

Sauder Woodworking has also expressed a desire to help out in any way possible.

"We have experienced plant shutdowns in our small town of 4,200, also, and know the pain that these closings can cause to families and communities," Sauder Woodworking Company President and CEO Kevin Sauder said. "We hope that this job fair can open new opportunities and avenues for advancement."

Job Fair organizers are expecting about 30 to 40 businesses to be present at the event. With the support of sponsors, organizers have been able to keep registration fees for participating employers low. An 8-by-10-foot booth will cost $50. An 8-by-20 foot booth will cost $100. All booths are professionally set up with skirted tables, back drops and chairs. Employers may set up their booths on Friday evening, June 29, or starting at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 30.

All proceeds will go toward operating and promoting the event. Door prizes will be given away every hour. Employers are encouraged to bring door prizes, as well. Advertising is being donated by all of the sponsoring media. Additional individual employer advertising is available for purchase for the fair, as well as regional print, radio and online advertising. Sponsors said they hope to make the fair an annual community event.

Businesses that wish to participate in the 2007 Job Fair must be registered by Friday, June 22. Interested employers should contact Tabatha Beerbower at (417) 667-3344, or by e-mail at tbeerbower@fstribune.com.