CCM / Dirt Cheap Holds Job Fair, Prepares to Open
Monday, September 28, 2020
By Wyndi Veigel - Marshall News Messenger | Sep 22, 2020
Potential jobs were on tap for hundreds Saturday as the newly-announced Dirt Cheap held a job fair to fill approximately 500 jobs at their new location in Marshall.
The business will lease 325,000 square feet of a privately owned structure at 2938 Brown Road, to serve their retail outlets in Texas, Western Louisiana and Southern Arkansas. A retail outlet for Dirt Cheap that is open to the public will also be located on the premises.
According to John Beasley, Vice President of Human Resources, more than 100 people were waiting to apply before the fair officially started on Saturday. After the first hour, more than 200 interviews had been conducted.
“We want to hire as many as we can and plan to hire up to 500 people in stages,” Beasley said. “We’ve had a very good turn out with a lot of good energy. We were pleased with those who applied.”
Beasley stated he was extremely pleased at the work that both the Marshall Economic Development Corporation (MEDCO) and the city commissioners had completed with Channel Control Merchants of Texas, LLC, (CCM), the parent company of Dirt Cheap.
To expedite the hiring process, applicants were able to fill out an application on site, go through a background check, complete new hire paperwork and go over key points in the employee handbook.
“We were hoping to do drug testing here but just didn’t have enough notice,” he said. “
Starting wages for the company are $10, with a $1 an hour attendance bonus for those who work at least 39.5 hours per week.
There are also performance incentives built into the payscale.
“We got to meet so many people today from the Longview area and the Shreveport/Bossier city area,” Beasley said.
The first crew will be starting at the business Oct. 5.
Marshall EDC Executive Director Donna Maisel, CEcD, reiterated how the project follows EDC goals and regulations while being able to assist individuals during the national and local unemployment recovery, during a previous press release.
“Distribution aligns with Marshall’s key advantages of location and workforce as well as Marshall EDC’s objectives and statutory authority,” she said. “Our organization was impressed with the company Job Incentive Program. Employees with little to no experience can gain employment quickly and increase their wages over time through established performance-based metrics. We believe this will assist new entrants to the workforce as well as many of those who have become unemployed due to COVID-19 shutdowns.”
An incentive package worth $255,000 was approved by city commission during its Sept. 10 meeting after approval through MEDCO. The money will go toward investment in signage, job fair promotion and employee retention through CCM’s Job Incentive Program.
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