Welders And Other Employees Needed At Port of Catoosa

If you're looking for a job, your ship might have just come in at the Port of Catoosa.<br/><br/>Businesses at the port say there's a serious shortage of workers.<br/><br/>News on 6 Business Reporter

Wednesday, October 19th 2005, 9:36 am

By: News On 6

If you're looking for a job, your ship might have just come in at the Port of Catoosa.

Businesses at the port say there's a serious shortage of workers.

News on 6 Business Reporter Steve Berg tells us, they're looking to do some hiring.

It's a sign of the times at the Port of Catoosa. Job-hopefuls like Kevin Cunningham saw the notice in the want ads.

"They listed all the various companies," Cunningham said. "And also mentioned that there's 50 companies out here, and that the word just hasn't been getting out."

The Linde Corporations Eric Sandefur says, "People hear about the Port of Catoosa and they don't really realize that it's a large industrial park... not just a place where you load barges."

Sandefur says job-seekers may not know the amount of manufacturing buisiness that goes on at the port. And he says their business is good.

They make a number of different processors for oil and gas refining, and they're looking for 60 to 70 permanent jobs.

Sandefur: "We're looking for regular employees. We're looking for people that are going to be long-term that we're going to pay benefits to along with good wages."

Linde is actually one of five companies at the Port of Catoosa that's looking to hire workers. Altogether they looking to add 400, maybe as many as 800.

Sandefur: "All of us use welders. Again, we're having a hard time hiring welders, and we've had to subcontract to probably 10 different companies in the Tulsa area for structural welding."

He says one of the other misconceptions is that the Port is far away. But he says it's only 15 minutes from most locations in Tulsa.

The other companies at the port that are part of the hiring campaign include the GEA Rainey Corporation, Matrix Services, Air Xchangers, and the new Wellman Products plant.