LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Employees of the Lexington Manufacturing Center (LMC) got a nice surprise Friday morning when Mayor Linda Gorton came to visit their plant.
Since 1961, LMC and OWL, the Opportunity for Work and Learning non-profit agency have teamed up to, in part, staff the LMC operation with employees who have a disability or might otherwise have challenges getting hired elsewhere.
“A lot of our employees will go to these bigger companies and instead of getting jobs they may get put on the back burner, or they’ll say, ‘we'll call you back,’ or not have a spot for you,” said LMC Operations Manager Jermaine Sandusky. “At LMC we don't do that. We want to give you an opportunity., no matter the issue, we want to see if we can accommodate you,” Sandusky continued.
While on the floor, we ran into Lisa Clark, who has been an LMC employee for 14 years, the last several of which she’s spent helping assemble circuit breaker panels for home and apartments.
“Everybody works together, that's what I like,” she said. “People in this position before I got here helped me learn it."
Clark said, and Sandusky confirmed, the company will do a lot of activities outside the plant, including picnics and holiday gatherings.
“We get very emotional in those holiday events. I like that I've made a lot of new friends,” Clark said of her co-workers.
Clark like her job, and the responsibility that comes with it, so much, she’s preferred to remain in the position rather than take on a promotion.
“Miss Clark is tremendous to the company,” Sandusky said. “She’s a tremendous help. One of the best operators on the production floor."
LMC will make the profits from the product made and distributed here, and will turn it over to OWL, which then turns the resources back into the community by offering employment opportunities, or training for certifications to those who want that, and can then be on the job where it’s needed.
Clark likes knowing she leaves here each day knowing she’s helped several contractors complete their jobs.
“The hard work we do, knowing it's paying off in someone's house. The steps we take to ensure safety. I feel proud,” Clark said of her role with LMC, before saying she wished she had known about OWL years before coming on board here.
*If you’d like more information about OWL and its programs, click here: OWL: Opportunity for Work & Learning - Empowering Success
