NORTH CARROLLTON — Anel Corp., which manufactures hydraulic and fuel tanks, came to J.Z. George High School on Thursday to look for 25 new employees at a job fair.
Anel employs 210 people in jobs ranging from assemblers and welders to engineers.
Randy Watkins, general manager at Anel, said the company is working two shifts for five days each week.
“We have been working a good bit of overtime because we don’t have enough workers,” he said.
Jamie Holder, whose family owns Anel and also Hol-Mac Corp. of Bay Springs, said Anel is not at maximum capacity after its last expansion and has room for more employees.
Holder said Anel’s focus on making hydraulic and fuel tanks for large equipment, including mining trucks, has become a profitable niche.
“Where in the past we didn’t do much assembly — just cutting, welding and painting — now we are making the complete product,” he said.
When the Holder family purchased the company, Anel had 65 workers. Through loans supported by the Mississippi Development Authority and Carroll County, the company has expanded its facilities near Winona.
Watkins said the company is always on the lookout for people who have a good work ethic.
“We want people who are ambitious, who value education and a safe work environment, and are looking for a company that values their people,” he said.
The company holds many classes for its employees and also reimburses tuition for those who take college classes, Holder said.
“We had a young student, a senior at George, come and ask about a job,” he said. “I told him to think about taking one of our free welding classes this fall or spring, and he could be ready for a job as soon as he graduates.”
Holder said Carroll and Montgomery counties have been very supportive of Anel.
“We appreciate their efforts to help us continue to remain competitive,” he said. “Without a higher-skilled work force, we won’t be able to compete. We have to change because technology changes so fast.”
Anel does not export much of its product but sells most of it at home, Holder said. A hydraulic tank for a large piece of equipment for Catepillar or Komatsu goes for $3,000, and a rail for the frame of a large mining truck goes for about $5,000, he said.
“Quality control requires strict procedures to see that products are of the highest quality,” Holder said. “We need people who can discipline themselves to produce those products.”
