Nemak seeks to hire 75 in Sheboygan

50 seasonal staff also sought

Nemak USA Inc., an automotive parts manufacturer that employs 1,250 people in Sheboygan, is looking to hire 75 full-time workers.

About half of the new hires will fill vacancies created by turnover, but the rest will provide labor for increased production, Tom Bair, human resources manager, said Friday.

With the auto industry “running very strong,” Nemak will expand its weekend operations in response to growing demand, Bair said.

Meanwhile, with Sheboygan County unemployment dropping to 3.0% in March — among the lowest rates in Wisconsin — turnover has been more of an issue for Nemak and other companies than it was in the past.

Nemak casts aluminum components such as transmission cases and engine blocks. Ford is the firm’s biggest customer, but Nemak also sells to General Motors, Chrysler and other suppliers to the automakers.

Nemak will conduct interviews Monday from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Blue Harbor Resort conference center in Sheboygan. The company also will accept applications next week at its plant at 3101 S. Taylor Drive.

Wages start above $15 an hour and can reach about $20 after one year. Nemak also offers insurance, a retirement savings plan and tuition reimbursement.

As it has in the past, the firm also will hire temporary workers for the summer. About 50 seasonal positions are open.

The Sheboygan business is a subsidiary of Nemak, S.A.B. de C.V., based in Monterrey, Mexico. Nemak came to Sheboygan in 2012 after acquiring J.L. French Automotive Castings Inc., which had gone through Chapter 11 bankruptcy twice during the previous six years.