More than a thousand people turned out for a job fair in St. Marys on Wednesday for 340 new positions at Green Arc Tire.
Those interested waited in a long line to hand over their resumes to a company representative, and a tally at the door found the majority applying were Londoners.
Most had their resume in hand because they were looking for a change, were out of work or had been laid off.
Jonathan Mitchell, who was laid off from the GM assembly plant in Ingersoll, was among those in line.
"When I get up there I'm hoping to let them know that I've worked in a factory and the industry for ten years so I know what it's all about...There's lots of landscaping jobs and all that kind of stuff around London during the summertime, but wintertime it's really hard."
Applicants were all waiting to have a brief conversation with the company's representatives, with many in line for over an hour and a half.
Danna O'Brien, spokesperson with Green Arc Tire Manufacturing, says "We knew that there were going to be hundreds of people, but we had no idea that it was going to be quite so overwhelming."
She says renovations are well underway at the former auto parts plant on James Street and they're on track to be in production by February.
The people handing in their resumes are applying for a wide range of jobs, from administration to production to skilled trades, with pay ranging from $16 to $26 per hour.
O'Brien says "We have 340 positions, 40 of which are reserved for members and former retiring members of the Armed Forces."
That means not everyone who stood in line Wednesday will be hired.
The company is holding an open house at the facility on December 13 from 7-9 p.m., but the company says it may be to soon for the day's applicants to know if they got a job or not by that date.
