Employer Testimonials

E.S. Kluft

Hazleton

“The three main draws of this area were the location between Interstates 81 and 80, which works very well for us; the Keystone Opportunity Zone program; and the workforce in the Hazleton area, which is very good. Hiring people was not an issue at all. We received hundreds of applications for the positions we had available and have maintained most of the people we initially hired.”

 

Steve Boucher, General Manager

Tootsie Roll

Hazleton

“We really wanted to make sure Hazleton was the right fit before we made our final decision, because once we locate somewhere, we’re there long term. The combination of location, workforce, and the Keystone Opportunity Zone we found in the Hazleton area made us confident that this is the perfect location for Tootsie Roll.

I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the quality of folks. We have had a couple hundred apply. They are great people. We couldn’t be happier. And it’s a great community.”

 

John Majors, Vice President of Distribution

Fabri-Kal

Hazleton

“The Hazleton plant has been the best-performing plant for at least the last 10 years. Soon, we are going to be passing out about 30 service awards to employees who have been here 20, 25, 30, 35 years.”

 

John Kittredge, Vice President of Marketing

AutoZone

Hazleton

“We went out and looked in this wonderful community and found lots of great leaders, great leaders who are going to take us to the next level. But the most important thing that happened was we found all of you, the wonderful, highly committed, highly dedicated, passionate people of Hazleton that we now call AutoZoners. Of all of the distribution centers that I have ever seen open, I have never seen one open as seamlessly as this one.”

 

Bill Rhodes, Chairman, President & CEO

Gonnella Frozen Products

Hazleton

“We had absolutely no problem finding candidiates who possess the skill sets we were seeking. I’ve been very impressed with the people our company has hired in Hazleton and with the number of applicants who applied for positions.”

 

Ken Gonnella, President

Bemis Polyethylene Packaging Division

Hazleton

“Employing over 500 locally, the West Hazleton plant is the largest producer of flexible packaging bags for the bakery business in the United States. The exceptional work ethic of our employees is evidenced in our plant being in business for 44 years. That, coupled with the skill level of the Hazleton workforce, has enabled us to rank at the top in productivity among five manufacturing plants in Bemis’ Polyethylene Packaging division.”

 

Geoff Svirbely, Human Resources Manager