Robert Carter started RC Industrial Services back in 2003 with five fulltime workers. They provide a range of products for such companies as Goodyear, Halla Climate Control, and Sigma Stretch Films to name a few. RC Industrial Services continues to grow and now operates with 25 fulltime employees who work out of the 22,000 square foot facility in Napanee. Hiring new employees to help fill the need of a company is hard on any business and trying to find young skilled workers can be challenging. This could not be truer for RC Industrial. “To say finding young skilled workers with mechanical experience is difficult would be an understatement” says Rob. “Less and less people are entering the field which is creating a real shortage of workers.” Businesses like RC Industrial usually offer internships to young people to give them the skill and knowledge to eventually become full time in the industry. Unfortunately fewer companies are offering these internships because of the economy which has caused a decrease in workload but also because they can be expensive to train. “To hire someone for an internship is not cheap. You are not only paying them a salary but they are taking away time from full time employees for training and you can’t panelize your clients with slower response times. If the individual has little or no experience in this field it is even harder and we are facing that more often with young people.”

To help offset the costs of an intern Rob attended a local information meeting held by PELA CFDC which highlighted the various ways they help local businesses and organizations. A grant was awarded to RC Industrial and an intern by the name of Matt McConnell was hired. Matt had just completed high school and was looking for a career when a family friend who worked at RC Industrial mentioned they were looking for an intern. “I grew up on a farm so I enjoyed working with my hands and I always knew I wanted to stay in the area” said Matt. Like most people Matt had very little experience in the mechanical trades and if not for the opportunity to be brought in as an intern the possibility for Matt to be passed up for someone with more experience would have been likely. “This was a great opportunity and I have learned a tremendous amount and I am still learning.” Matt has now completed his 8 month internship and was offered a full time position with RC Industrial Services.

PELA CFDC is a non-profit organization, which operates out of Napanee as well as Picton. Along with grants and loans they also provide advice, counselling, and assistance in constructing a business plan, free of charge. For more information on how PELA CFDC can help your current or new business, or organization you can contact one of our friendly and resourceful staff at either of our two convenient locations.