Springfield manufacturer will host a job fair next week

The harp plate for a Steinway and Sons piano, made in Springfield at the OS Kelly Company. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

The harp plate for a Steinway and Sons piano, made in Springfield at the OS Kelly Company. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

A Springfield manufacturing firm that supplies piano plates for Steinway and Sons will host its second job fair in the past couple months, and recently boosted wages in a deal with its union.

The O.S. Kelly Co. will host a job fair from 2 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 17 at its facility at 318 E. North St., said Rob Hill, plant manager at Kelly. The firm is looking for about 10 workers including a CNC operator as well as positions to grind and sand the piano plates.

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The company is looking to speed up hiring and also recently reached an agreement with its union to boost wages across the board for all pay levels. The company’s entry-level wage jumped to $15.63, but Hill said most of the available positions will pay closer to $17.25 per hour once training is complete.

He said the company also offers two weeks paid vacation and its location near downtown Springfield makes it more convenient for employees who sometimes have transportation issues that make it challenging to travel to work.

Since the 1930s, workers at O.S. Kelly have produced cast-iron plates that are a key to the pianos Steinway and Sons produce in Long Island, N.Y. and Hamburg, Germany. The plates, which can weigh up to 350 pounds, tie together the guts of the pianos.

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