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INDIANAPOLIS — A high performance magnet manufacturer with deep Hoosier roots is looking to hire more employees that will stick around, and take advantage of their downtown location.
“We’re next to the bus lines, some people take the bus, other people ride their bike on the Monon trail here. We’re easy to get to if you’re driving,” says Thomas and Skinner President and COO, Ed Richardson.
Chances are you have gone right past the facility, and you’ve certainly been around their products-without even knowing it.
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“We produce magnets that go into commercial airplanes, also defense weapons systems. We’re very proud of what we do,” says Richardson.
The company has been making high performance magnets at their Indianapolis facility since the 1920’s.
“It’s hard to find skilled machinists, number one. Two, other people that want to work in manufacturing. What we do is hard work. We’re taking raw materials, and we’re melting metal over 3,000 degrees, so it’s not for the slight of heart,” Richardson explains.
Those magnets are then exported all over the world, and as commercial airplane production continues to boom, so does business at Thomas and Skinner.
We are on engines, we are on hydraulic systems, we’re on radar systems, all through the aircraft, so as that industry has really surged in production, our business has improved,” says Richardson.
Pamela McFarland has seen the company, and her career, evolve during her 35 years at Thomas and Skinner.
“My responsibility is to make sure we get all the parts shipped out every day to the customer. A typical day is the parts come in the door, we do an inspection on them, we do a test on them, and we pack them,” McFarland says.
It’s also a lot of hard work according to the Supervisor in final inspection.
“It is a big challenge to work here, you have a lot of different jobs. It’s not like just one little job,” says McFarlad.
An important job at that. A field Richardson says he hopes future employees are attracted to.
“Not very many people in Indianapolis or even Indiana know what we do, because it’s so unique and specialized. I can assure you though that the Pentagon knows what we do.”
Not only does Thomas and Skinner offer their convenient location, employees are offered shares in the company, a free health clinic, 401K, and monthly bonuses.
Their wages are competitive with other manufacturers in central Indiana.
