Hundreds show up at TK job fair

CALVERT, Ala. - Thyssenkrupp's new steel processing plant is set to open in the next few months, but the company still needs to hire another 2,000 workers.

Troy Kehoe has had a long journey. After 15 years as an electrician, he was forced to take a cut in pay. So he drove an hour and a half to stand in line, hoping for a new opportunity.

"I'm in a monthly deficit working for this company," Kehoe says. "I have to survive."

Thyssenkrupp held a job fair on Wednesday, December 9. The company is finishing up a steel processing facility in Calvert, set to open in the spring.

In all, Thyssenkrupp will hire a total of 2,700 workers. For the hundreds standing in line, that means hope.

Mark Stanton is hoping for a job, any job in fact. He's been out of work for a year, with a wife and two kids to feed.

"Just trying to survive, keep your head above water," Stanton says.

This is Thyssenkrupp's thirteenth job fair in the area, and it's offering everything from salaried positions to maintenance work. It plans to hold more job fairs in the next couple of years.

While waiting under the morning sun, Kehoe hopes his journey ends on a bright note: a chance at a new start.

Construction of the plant has pumped big bucks into the local economy. Thyssenkrupp has around $650 million worth of contracts with companies out of Alabama.