Success Stories

Justin Reidenbach had used the OhioMeansJobs Tuscarawas County facility in the past and returned to search for work after relocating. In January 2019, Justin was in almost every day and would spend most of the day utilizing the resources to seek employment. He sought assistance with his resume and attended the workshop “how to use social media in your job search.”

On March 7, 2019, Justin stopped in to tell us that his diligence paid off. After 3 months, and completing a total of 568 applications, he was hired at Herc Rentals in Operations and Sales making $18.50 an hour and has quickly moved into the Lead position there.

But his story doesn’t stop there. Justin is a military veteran and has a brother, Travis, who has been serving in Iraq. Justin is very close to his brother and has not seen him in 8 years. His brother is out of the military now and will be moving back to the area. Justin is anxiously awaiting his arrival and is already at work to help his brother with any assistance he may need with job search. Justin plans to connect him with the OhioMeansJobs center and the Dislocated Veteran Outreach Program to help his brother through the transition.

By utilizing the resources available at our center, Justin made finding a job his job. OMJ Tuscarawas County Resource Room Supervisor Lori Douglass states, “there is a quote I like: “There is no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs.” Justin should be the poster person for that quote. He took the stairs and is now on his way up the ladder to further success!”

Joshua Haney began using the OhioMeansJobs Tuscarawas County center for his job search after a nudge from his father. Jeff Haney started using the services of OhioMeansJobs in 2004 and received assistance to complete his college education through the workforce scholarships provided through the Workforce Initiative Association.

Jeff started using OhioMeansJobs in January 2019 to get assistance with his job search. He decided to attend two of the job search workshops to help him both figure out the types of jobs he was interested in (Discover Your New Job) and how to successfully interview for employment (How to Ace an Interview). Resource room staff also completed a resume review to make sure he had a resume that would get him through the door.

In February, Josh made a special trip in to the OhioMeansJobs office to share that he had gained employment at Adventure Harley Davidson doing sales, and was so appreciative of the help he had received. He states, “I utilized the facility and the tools granted to me to help find my current employer. Wonderful and helpful individuals work here!”

Scott Levengood of Mineral City, Ohio had been utilizing services at OhioMeansJobs Tuscarawas since 2004, and most recently since March 2018. Scott, who is a chemist, was interested in applying for a position at Suez Water Technologies & Solutions in New Philadelphia.  He received assistance with his resume and cover letter, and attended the “How to Ace an Interview” workshop.

A worldwide company with a 180 year history, Suez Water Technologies & Solutions brings together experienced professionals and advanced technologies to solve the world’s most complex challenges related to water scarcity, quality, productivity, the environment and energy.

Scott did not have good cell phone service where he lives, so he requested to use our New Philadelphia facility to conduct an initial phone interview with the company.  This resulted in three additional telephone interviews that lasted over an hour, all at our New Philadelphia office.

Throughout the process, Scott received advice from resource room staff and he did extensive research on the company in preparation for the interviewing process.  On October 9, 2018 Scott reported to the staff at OhioMeansJobs Tuscarawas County that he was offered the job at Suez Water Technologies & Solutions and had accepted the position.

Scott was extremely grateful for the help and encouragement he received from the Tuscarawas County staff.

On Monday, October 22nd, 2018 Devin Clum, a new job seeker, came to the OhioMeansJobs Tuscarawas County resource room to create a resume. Resource Room Specialist Ann Wenzel welcomed him and assisted him with his orientation session and paperwork. Once completed, he requested assistance on the computer to create a resume.

At that time Devin confided to Ann that he was raised in Tuscarawas County, but had moved to Florida a few years ago for work. He was a trained certified welder, and had a job working in the shipyards of the Gulf of Mexico. He had been living and working in Panama City, Florida, which took a direct hit from Hurricane Michael on October 10th. The town sustained significant damage. Devin had lost his home, many possessions and his job.

He evacuated and returned home to Dover to stay with his mother, but he needed to find a job immediately. He had few remaining possessions and no income.

Ann was very impressed with Devin’s positive upbeat attitude and motivated work ethic. She approached Anita Rutledge, the Recruiting Specialist in the Tuscarawas County Business Services Unit, and explained Devin’s situation.

It just so happened that one of Dover’s newest prominent companies, Extreme Trailer, had a current job order placed with Rutledge for qualified welding candidates.

Extreme Trailer had partnered with the Business Services Unit at the Tuscarawas County office to staff their start-up crew when the company opened its Dover facility in the spring of 2017. The company still directs all applicants to apply through the OhioMeansJobs Tuscarawas County office.

After hearing Ann’s endorsement of Devin, Anita picked up the phone and contacted Don Hayes, Human Resource Manager for Extreme Trailer. She explained Devin’s plight and Ann’s referral.

Hayes said that Devin should come immediately to the company and take a welding test. Hopefully he could start him as soon as possible.

Anita explained to Devin that he could take the test immediately and return afterwards to finish completing his resume.

Devin was excited about the prospect of working at Extreme Trailer, and left to get his welding gear and meet with the hiring team for testing. An hour later he returned to complete his resume.

Devin did not realize that the welding test included welding in aluminum, which he wasn’t trained on, but did pass the remainder of the test.

Within minutes Don Hayes contacted Devin and explained to him that they would need to do training with him to bring him up to speed on aluminum welding, but that he would like to offer him a position as an assembler at $15 an hour. Don said that once he completed the aluminum welding training and testing that he would be advanced into a welder’s position at $18 per hour.

Devin immediately accepted the position and returned to the company to complete the necessary hiring paperwork. He began working the next day. Needless to say Devin was quite thrilled to secure a job within hours of entering our facility.

On Friday, October 26th, Extreme Trailer notified Anita that Devin passed the aluminum welding test and would start Monday, October 29th as a welder at $18 per hour.

This was a perfect example of how two separate units within the OhioMeansJobs center came together to make a positive outcome for a displaced worker who had just gone through a major catastrophe.

Dora Bower, a US Army veteran, originally came to OhioMeansJobs Stark County in 2012 for job search services. At that time she was a student at Stark State College of Technology earning her associates degree in business administration. ODJFS Veteran Representative Troy Bradfield assisted her with her employment needs.

Bower recently found herself connecting with OhioMeansJobs Stark County again for job search assistance, after being laid off as an office administrator for an aluminum production company.

At that time, Bower was referred by the OhioMeansJobs Stark County staff to work with Bradfield again. Bradfield focused on improving her ability to interview and developing a framework for her applications.

Bradfield introduced her to Robin Hartline, recruiting specialist for the Business Services Unit. Hartline was coordinating an onsite recruitment event for IML Containers Ohio, an international company currently building a production facility in Stark County, and introduced to the OhioMeansJobs center’s business unit by Stark Economic Development Board, the local economic development organization. The company was staffing locally from the ground up. They needed an experienced office administrator who would help develop the start-up operation.   Hartline provided information about IML Containers Ohio and strongly urged Bower to apply for the position.

Bradfield and Hartline assisted Bower with refining her resume that reflected her military service, professional experience and formal education. The next day Bower met with the IML Containers Ohio hiring managers who flew in from Chicago. She was hired immediately at a starting wage of $37,500 a year, along with profit sharing and incentives. IML Containers Ohio selected this veteran as their very first hire in this area.

Bower recently completed training at the company’s facilities in Iowa and Canada and has returned to set up the Canton, Ohio plant. When Bradfield reached out to Dora to get an update on her training, she responded that “this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me”.

“Her perseverance, her willingness to meet with our staff and develop her skills, her confidence and her abilities were the driving factors that resulted in her hiring,” says Bradfield.

“We work better when we work together,” said Bradfield.   “Collaboration of services is the central theme that led to this positive outcome for Dora,” he added.

“This is a perfect example of the Business Services Unit knowing the needs of the employer, and our partner identifying the skills of the job seeker,” said Hartline.