As a result of COVID and the surge in hiring because of the pandemic, major Northern Kentucky employers are tapping into new labor pools. Logistics firm MegaCorp, manufacturer Mazak, and food processor Taylor Farms provide second chance employment, career development and a strong sense of community for Northern Kentuckians with criminal records.
Michele Thomes lives in Dayton, Kentucky, in a house she owns with a beautiful serenity garden in her yard. She works at a job she loves and has the confidence to keep growing in her role, but her life looked very different just a few years ago.
Previously, Thomes worked for the Internal Revenue Service for ten years and as an office manager for an information technology company in Blue Ash, but everything changed when she was arrested in Hamilton County and charged with possession of an illegal substance.
Thomes said childhood trauma that she was still processing led her to self-medicate, which eventually developed into an addiction. After her arrest, she went to rehab and made sure to do everything the judge asked of her.
She even earned an associate’s degree in business from Gateway Community and Technical College and completed an internship at Life Learning Center in Covington.
But, once Thomes started looking for a new job, she was often denied because of the charge.
“I was treading water for a while and living with a friend,” said Thomes. “I felt like I had done all this hard work and made it so far.
One day, all the hard work paid off when she came across a receptionist job posting at MegaCorp Logistics. When she was called in for an interview, the company told her she was overqualified for the receptionist job, so they interviewed her to be an administrative assistant for the company’s vice president. She was later promoted to executive assistant and office manager.
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Michele Thomes“MegaCorp almost saved my life,” said Thomes.Thomes has worked at MegaCorp for six years and said the company helps her succeed professionally and personally.
“The leadership and my colleagues have created this environment where you feel completely safe and able to speak your mind and give your opinion, but you also know where the boundaries are,” said Thomes. “I can honestly say I am a completely different person than when I first walked into MegaCorp and that’s because of what I have received from all my teammates.”
Thomes has been clean for 10 years and said she loves coming to work and finds joy in her job every day. “I’m just the happiest I’ve ever been, and it still stuns me sometimes,” said Thomes. “I know that everyone here has my back and when you’ve gone through what I’ve gone through, that’s important.”
MegaCorp isn’t the only Northern Kentucky company helping people turn their lives around.
“Many Northern Kentucky employers are recognizing the benefits of broadening their talent pools and looking at new ways to fill roles in their companies,” said BE NKY Vice President of Economic Development Kimberly Rossetti. “This positive trend of bringing people back into the workforce and into good-paying jobs that support families means greater prosperity for our community.”
Alexander Nolting works as a CNC Machine Assembler at Mazak Corporation, a machine tool manufacturer for multiple industries located in Northern Kentucky. But, prior to starting his career, Nolting was arrested more than 50 times in his life due to drug use.
He was a drug user for a long time, eventually turning to heroin and meth. In a little over a year, he said he went from being a college student to a person with substance abuse disorder. He said many of his criminal charges are for public intoxication, and he also has three felonies and a few possession charges.
He was sent to prison and took some classes while he was there, which helped him turn his life around. When he got out of prison, he visited The Council of Christian Re-entry Ministry, where he met Executive Director Jerry Wallace.
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Alexander Nolting“He saw the potential in me that I couldn’t see anymore,” said Nolting.
Today, Nolting has been clean for about three years. At Mazak, he works on machines, bolting in sheet metal, tapping in screw holes, and setting up wiring and lubricant systems.
“I couldn’t be happier right now,” said Nolting. “I get along with everyone at Mazak and I feel like they actually care about me.”
Taylor Farms, Kentucky, also actively engages in fair chance hiring
“At Taylor Farms, we know how hard it is right now to find good people and we’ve learned that sometimes the best team members are the ones who just need a second chance,” said General Manager John Killeen. “They often bring dedication, resilience, and determination because they’re driven to rebuild their lives. We inform candidates we have high expectations that must be met, and it is up to them to prove they are committed but, much more often than not, they show us they are worth the placement and thrive. We’re not just filling jobs; we’re helping people start over and that means something to us.”
Dennis Torres was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and lived in multiple foster homes as a child. As he got older, he became involved with the wrong crowd and began selling drugs, eventually becoming addicted.
“I started getting in trouble a lot and was in and out of jails and rehabs,” said Torres.
Torres is a two-time convicted felon in Kentucky for drug possession and didn’t think he would be able to find a good job. Eventually, he went to Grateful Life Center in Erlanger.
He got work cleaning hotel rooms when he learned about Taylor Farms. He had previously applied to other jobs but wasn’t hired because of his record.
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Dennis Torres“I applied and it just took somebody to give me a chance,” he said. “They gave me one chance and that’s all I really needed. They’ve allowed me to make a life for my family and be present for my kids and the woman I love.”
Three years later, Torres supervises a growing department that handles products that go to national grocery stores, and many employees report to him every day.
“It feels unreal, knowing where I was three years ago. I was in jail and rehabs, and life was unmanageable,” said Torres. “And now, I am going on vacation with my fiancée.”
Torres has his own apartment now and is very involved with Alcoholics Anonymous. He takes great pride in what he does and said it feels good that the company trusts him and recognizes his potential.
His managers are patient and understanding when he must undergo drug testing or meet with his probation officer. They coach him, giving him opportunities to grow at the company.
“They saw something in me when I didn’t see something in me,” said Torres. “People make mistakes and sometimes they just need another chance to prove themselves.”
Alexis Sweigart has worked at Taylor Farms since 2019. Sweigart grew up in a good family and both of her parents were very involved in her life. She played sports, earned a 4.0 GPA in high school and received a full ride to the University of Louisville.
But she said she got bored and complacent, and had some issues she hadn’t dealt with, so she started using drugs and became addicted to heroin.
She was arrested on a charge of conspiracy to distribute heroin and was sentenced to five years in jail. When she was released, she went to a halfway house in Cincinnati, which is where she found out about Taylor Farms.
She could take a bus from the halfway house to Taylor Farms and eventually saved up enough money for a car and her first apartment.
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Alexis Sweigart“I put my head down and went to work every day and worked on building myself,” she said.
Sweigart began her career as a forklift driver and worked her way up to the role she is in today as receiving manager. She handles products that come into the building, including raw materials, ingredients and packaging. She handles inventories for all three shifts, seven days a week, and supervises about 60 employees.
Taylor Farms gives her many opportunities to advance in her career, and she visited other Taylor Farm facilities throughout the country as part of a leadership program. She said every step of the way the company gives her the chance to showcase her abilities and increase her leadership skills. Now, she teaches those she supervises and helps them progress in their careers.
“There is more than enough respect in this building that people want to work with you and help you grow,” said Sweigart. “They don’t judge you and they don’t use your past against you.”
Sweigart is pursuing a global supply chain management degree through an online program at Northern Kentucky University. In the last few years, she also bought a new truck and a house.
“It’s mind blowing after being addicted and in prison for five years. It’s beyond my wildest dreams that I could accomplish this six-years out,” she said. “If people are out there and you truly want a second chance, you have to put the work into it and can’t expect it to be handed to you. You can’t have the same old routines and get somewhere new. If some place like Taylor Farms offers you that chance, you have to run with it.”
Recovery-focused services
There are many resources in Northern Kentucky for residents struggling with addiction or finding a job after overcoming addiction.
Life Learning Center in Covington, where Thomes completed an internship, empowers people struggling with poverty and unemployment to choose what they want to be and take necessary steps to achieve it.
Journey Recovery Center through St. Elizabeth Physicians, works with patients to meet their unique needs related to substance use disorder. The staff at the center partner with multiple community agencies to address barriers or obstacles that could impede patients’ recoveries.
Transitions seeks to help patients overcome addiction through individualized and tailored care. Treatment is provided through trauma-informed, person-centered and recovery-focused services.
Incorporating fair chance employment into companies’ hiring practices becomes more important as the baby boomer generation continues to reach retirement age. Businesses across all industry sectors must look at ways to reach new audiences, find talent and retain and upskill their existing workforce. Many resources, such as funding through the
Bluegrass State Skills Corporation, exist at the state and local levels to help companies in these endeavors.