Contributed photo by Ryan Lewis /
The space where American Job Center’s offices once stood in Kimball, Tenn. After a fire in May, the building was completely destroyed and the remaining debris was removed not long afterward. Only the small building that housed Chattanooga State’s welding classes was saved.JASPER, Tenn. – After a fire destroyed the offices of the American Job Center in Kimball, Tennessee, in May, Marion County leaders began searching for a solution to keep the organization in the area.
Patrick O’Hagan, lead career specialist at Marion’s American Job Center, said the government-funded organization provides services to both job seekers and employers.
“In short, what we do is connect the two,” he said. “We work closely with local employers with their hiring needs and recruitment. We also go and help individuals that are looking for work. We’re homeless for the time being.”
County Mayor David Jackson said more than 1,000 people visited the center to use its services in the months leading up to the fire.
“They do a great job for our citizens and our employees and employers throughout the county,” he said. “If we do not have them in our county, then these people would have to drive to the Chattanooga location or Dayton or Cleveland.”