Pandemic Causing Recruiting Struggles For Tulsa-Based Bama Companies

A Tulsa company that makes food for businesses nationwide is getting creative when it comes to recruiting.

Bama Companies started in the 1920s with pies. It now produces food for some of the most popular restaurants and stores, so it is adding incentives to help sweeten the deal with recruitment.

Bama Companies told News On 6 it produces two million pies, one and a half million biscuits, one million hotcakes and one million pizza crusts every day in the Tulsa area.

The company said it needs a total of least 800 team members at its three production sites to meet demand.

Kenny Harris shared why he has been working here for 17 years.

"It's a good company,” said Harris. “It really is, and we have a very caring CEO that the benefits are just excellent."

Bama said demand jumped during the pandemic, while it has been a challenge keeping up with staffing.

"What that means to us is that our team members are stressed even more,” said Kate Paciga Bama Companies talent acquisition supervisor. “They're asked to work harder; they're asked to work more."

Paciga said Bama was down more than 100 team members at one time but was able to recruit dozens by getting creative.

"We're having to go outside Tulsa a little bit more,” explained Paciga. “We're having to do things like career fairs that we haven't done a lot of in the past. We had to do a lot of advertising."

Paciga said the company raised the starting pay to $19 per hour, started a referral program, hired a caterer with healthy food choices and brought back a personal trainer for the company's gyms.

Bama said it also prides itself in having a caring center, which offers legal advice, counseling and keeping a positive culture.

"Making sure that they're happy, trying to do what we can to kind of ease those stresses that they're feeling," explained Paciga.

There are still dozens of job openings if you'd like to apply here.

Bama Companies said also has facilities in Poland and China and recently opened in Northern Ireland, Wales and the U.K.