Marathon Petroleum seeking hundreds of construction workers at Cobo fair

By JOHN GALLAGHER • FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER • May 21, 2008

Marathon Petroleum Co. hopes to begin hiring several hundred skilled construction workers at a job fair Thursday at Cobo Center for its upcoming $1.9-billion Detroit refinery expansion.
Promoting the job fair Wednesday, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick emphasized that Marathon needs workers with experience in various construction trades, including carpenters, masons and electricians.

But even those who don’t get hired by Marathon can get referrals to a variety of training programs or other help finding employment.

“We want to get people to work,” Kilpatrick said. “The biggest key to Michigan’s success, particularly southeastern Michigan, is to put people back to work…. Now we’re saying come down and access us.”

The job fair will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Contact JOHN GALLAGHER at 313-222-5173 or gallagher@freepress.com.