“I’m very happy with the quality of applicants referred by Chipola Workforce Board,” said Parker said. “They come in ready to work, with great skills, attitudes and work ethic. Though I’ve only been here a short while, I already am interested in expanding Green Circle’s use of local workforce resources as we hire more employees.”

Green Circle Bio Energy Inc., located in rural Jackson County Florida, produces wood pellets used in European

coal power plants as an alternative energy source. Among the largest wood pellet plants in the world, Green Circle supplies more than 560,000 of the 2 million metric tons of U.S. wood pellet exports to Europe each year. To meet its employment and training needs Green Circle turns to Chipola Workforce Board.

A member of the Employ Florida network, which includes the state’s 24 Regional Workforce Boards, Workforce Florida and the Department of Economic Opportunity, Chipola Workforce Board provides workforce services to businesses and jobs seekers in Calhoun, Holmes, Jackson, Liberty and Washington counties. These rural counties are home to a labor force of more than 50,000. Chipola Workforce Board cultivates relationships with local businesses, like Green Circle, driven by mutual interest in talent development in support of economic development. The local board has developed a solid reputation for partnership in addressing talent-related challenges unique to rural economies.

Green Circle Human Resources and Safety Manager Kelly Parker values Chipola’s array of business services, including candidate recruitment and screening that begin with the Employ Florida Marketplace at EmployFlorida.com. Most importantly, she values the top-notch talent connections made by Chipola Workforce Board.

Among recent Green Circle hires is Industrial Electrician Randal Hardbower, a Navy veteran who was laid off from

his corrections job with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice in 2011.

“Chipola Workforce Board helped me find a job I like that pays better than the one I lost,” Hardbower said. “Laid-off workers should get help at their local workforce boards. With persistence and the right help, something good will come through.”

Chipola Workforce Board initially matched Hardbower to an opening with Green Circle based on electrician skills he gained while in the military. According to Parker, those specific skills are what helped him get the job.

“Chipola Workforce Board works hard to ensure that connecting job seekers and employers is our top priority every single day,” said Richard Williams. “We’ve been blessed with great employers willing to communicate their needs in ways help us overcome challenges and get them right job candidates. We also are fortunate to work in a state that allows local workforce boards the flexibility to tailor programs to meet region’s business needs.”

“In a rural region such as ours, business services tailored to specific needs are critical not only to our customers but also to our local economy at large. The business community needs to be assured that, as a team, workforce and economic development will go the extra mile to attract and retain companies and jobs in this region.”

Randal Hardbower, industrial electrician and Kelly Parker, human resources and safety manager.

Green Circle Bio Energy: Partnering with Workforce for

Talent in a Rural Economy

EmployFlorida.com