Fry's Electronics is taking over a warehouse in Kings County. They won't offer shopping, but as Action News reporter Gene Haagenson tells us, the company will provide some badly needed jobs.
This nearly two hundred thousand square foot building South of Hanford used to turn out cardboard packaging, but it will soon be packed with electronic merchandise from 16 Fry's Electronics Stores up and down the state. Returned and damaged merchandise will be repaired and reprocessed here. John Lehn, The director of the Kings County Economic Development Corporation is excited.
"It's great news great news for the Valley great news for Kings County and Hanford."
When former International Paper Company building closed four years ago, 90 jobs were lost. Frys Electronics plans to bring more than one hundred jobs back to this community and there are already plenty of applicants. Steve Soto was busy filling out an application at the Kings, One Stop Job Center in downtown Hanford.
"I thought it was pretty good because there's not too many jobs available in Hanford."
Steve Soto is one of 250 people who have already applied for positions with Fry's. Lehn says the jobs are badly needed in a county with a 16 per cent unemployment rate.
"It's a big range at the top you'll have folks who have a lot of experience in audio visual repair they will be repairing anything from computers to cell phones to cameras to everything in between.
The breadth of the rest of the jobs would be shipping and receiving, lots of folks with lower level technical knowledge in computer repair or something like that."
The jobs are coming here because Fry's is moving the operation from San Jose. Lehn says only a few top level workers are expected to make the move from the Bay Area to the Central Valley. Meaning most of the workers will be hired locally.
Steve Soto, who has experience in warehouse work is hopeful. "To be having a place that they shut down in San Jose to be bringing it to Hanford is pretty awesome."
Anyone interested in applying is urged to do it right away. Fry's will be conducting interviews next week, and plans to start hiring operation in March.
John Lehn is the CEO of the Kings County Economic Development Corporation. He's excited to have a major company come to town.
"Ultimately with a company like Fry's and the name recognition of something like that it really helps our economic development efforts to move forward."
423 it's based upon geography if they are really serving stores that are northern or southern California it does make sense to be in the central valley.
Frys Electronics will bring damaged and returned merchandise from its 16 stores in Northern and Southern California here for repair, and redistribution.
