Plant Startup Recruiting Solution: A Case Study
Last Updated on January 29, 2026 / Recruitment, Videos
Business Situation
Kadant Black Clawson, a fiber processing supplier, was opening a new manufacturing plant in Lebanon, Ohio and needed assistance with finding the staff necessary to fill a wide range of positions from skilled trades to management roles. These roles included Welders, CNC Machinists, Production Planners, Quality Inspectors, Shipping and Receiving Specialists, Assemblers, Inventory Specialists, Painters, Grinders, and Field Service Engineers.
The plant was starting from ground zero and needed to quickly hire 50+ staff.
Kadant didn’t have the bandwidth or expertise to handle this high-volume recruiting, so they partnered with the talent acquisition experts at Clark Schaefer Strategic HR to lead and manage their recruitment process.
Our Approach and Startup Recruiting Solution
Given the magnitude of hiring over 60 manufacturing staff fast in a tight labor market, we approached this project with two dedicated teams.
Job Fair Coordination
The first team had a very short three weeks to organize and execute a successful Job Fair in the newly constructed plant. Over 170 candidates came through the doors and approximately 15 niche skilled trades professionals were hired from this event.
Sourcing and Screening
The second team focused on recruiting for all of the plant positions. As a result, we filled a large majority of the roles in the first phase of the project. These positions coincided with the delivery and setup of the equipment for the plant – perfect timing!
Client Benefit
The plant was successfully opened with production operations. Kadant’s plant management were extremely happy with the quality and caliber of the manufacturing staff that we were able to find.
By leveraging our flexible recruitment pricing options, we filled Kadant’s positions at a fraction of the cost they would have incurred if they had executed the work themselves or used outside recruiting agencies.
Our startup recruiting solution has been a win for both Kadant and Clark Schaefer Strategic HR, and a positive development for the greater Lebanon area with the addition of a valuable new employer.
