ATS thriving amid recession talk
Technology services company hosting job fair Saturday as it pushes toward 3,000 employeesPEORIA - Talk of recession and economic slowdown permeates much of the business scene, but at Advanced Technology Services Inc., 8201 N. University St., all they talk about is growing.
"We're at 2,300 employees now. I expect to hit the 3,000 (employee) mark in the next 18 months," said ATS president Jeff Owens.
ATS has a unique market niche - providing maintenance and information technology services to some of the largest manufacturers in the world, he said.
"Last year we had a record year - nearly $200 million in sales - and this year, I can guarantee that we'll set another record," he said.
All that success has Owens looking for employees. "We have 130 open positions right now," he said.
To help in that regard, ATS is hosting a job fair at company offices in Pioneer Park from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. "We want to talk to everybody from high school graduates with no experience to retirees who might want to get back into the work arena," said Owens.
While workers with experience working on diesel engines are in particular demand, Owens said ATS is looking at a wide variety of positions to fill.
"We want to talk to people individually to find out where their interests lie," he said.
The company, started as a spin-off from Caterpillar Inc. in 1985, has found its niche as the firm that large manufacturers such as Johnson & Johnson or Honda go to for outsourcing the care and maintenance of factory assets, said Owens.
"Companies continue to embrace outsourcing more and more. Somehow we latched onto that market," he said of the factory maintenance area.
ATS is also expanding its territory along with its company. "We're learning how to go global," said Owens, noting that the firm is making plans to enter the China market.
Already established in Mexico and the United Kingdom, ATS is slowly moving beyond the United States, he said. "We follow our customers around the world," said Owens.