Army Fleet Support bucks layoff trend

As Alabama’s unemployment rate climbs near double digits and plant closings and layoffs dominate the news, one Wiregrass employer has been adding to its workforce for months and plans to continue hiring.

Army Fleet Support spokesperson Lisa Gee said the company has been adding about 40 workers per month for the past five months and continues to seek qualified aircraft mechanics, supervisors and support workers.

AFS maintains the fleet of helicopters used to train military personnel at Fort Rucker. With flight students flying more hours, more workers are needed to maintain the helicopters.

The new jobs are attracting applicants from throughout the country. Monday, a group of about 35 workers went through a new employee orientation, some of them from as far away as Iowa and New York.

Gerald Williams has been working for about a month as an aircraft maintenance supervisor. He came to AFS from Jacksonville, Fla., where he had been laid off from his job at Avionics Solutions in December.

“It was Heaven sent,” said Williams, whose wife is originally from Ashford.

Williams spent 20 years in the Navy as an aircraft technician, retiring in 2008. The downturn in the economy made work hard to find. He found a part-time job at an AutoZone before landing the position at Avionics Solutions. During a recent trip to Ashford, he was told about the possibility of jobs at Fort Rucker. After a quick online search, Williams applied for three separate positions, had an interview, and landed a job.

“It was perfect because getting back in aviation is something I always wanted to do,” Williams said. “Plus, it couldn’t have come at a better time because I had made a promise to my wife that I would have her out of the house we were living in.”

Alabama’s unemployment rate is 9 percent. Dothan’s unemployment rate was 7.2 percent in April, almost twice the rate from April of 2008. Houston County’s unemployment rate in April was 6.8 percent, down from 7.4 percent in March.

AFS employees about 3,600 workers and more are being sought. To view the current positions open, visit http://www.armyfleetsupport.com and click on “careers.”