GREENE – At a press conference at The Raymond Corporation in Greene Wednesday, State Labor Commissioner Colleen C. Gardner touted the fact that The Raymond Corporation is hiring up to 100 workers over the next 60 days. She also had a message for companies in the Southern Tier.

“If you are a company in the Southern Tier, the Labor Department will be there for you and your workers,” Gardner said.

Last February, at a press conference in Binghamton, The Raymond Corporation joined the Department of Labor to promote its Shared Work program. The program, which The Raymond Corporation actively participated in last year, gives employers an alternative to layoffs. Rather than lay off a percentage of workers to cut costs, an employer can reduce the hours of all or a select group of employees. Those workers can use the program to collect partial UI benefits to make up for the lost wages. The Raymond Corporation credits the program with saving dozens of jobs at the company. For more information on the Shared Work program, call (518) 457-5807.

“And when you have hiring needs, the Labor Department will be there as well,” said Commissioner Gardner.

Late last year, The Raymond Corporation started hiring again in the Southern Tier. They placed job orders at Labor Department offices and took advantage of On-the-Job Training (OJT) through both Broome-Tioga Workforce New York and the Chenango-Delaware-Otsego Workforce Investment Board. They also applied for the State OJT program and that application is pending. Since January 1, The Raymond Corporation has been actively hiring, and among those new hires, 20 have participated in the OJT program. They plan to hire up to 100 more workers over the next 60 days and hope to take advantage of Labor Department services to assist with this rapid expansion in the Southern Tier.

Stephen E. VanNostrand, Vice President of Human Resources at The Raymond Corporation, said, “The Raymond Corporation is an active supporter of Employee Training and Development. We would like to thank the New York State Department of Labor for partnering with us in many areas, including On-the-Job Training. It is through programs such as this, that The Raymond Corporation can reach out to those in the community that are searching for new opportunities or careers that provide them an entry into the manufacturing arena. We look forward to continuing to work together to attract, develop and retain exceptional talent that supports The Raymond Corporation in maintaining its market leading position while creating new jobs in the Southern Tier.”