Penn National announces job fair for Austintown racino

May 30, 2014 at 12:00a.m.

AUSTINTOWN

Just a day shy of the one-year groundbreaking anniversary at the Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course site came the announcement of two job fairs to place approximately 400 people in full-time and part-time jobs.

On Thursday morning, Mike Galle, general manager of the site, along with members of his team announced the start of the hiring process for the racino — a $250 million gaming, dining, entertainment and thoroughbred racing facility off state Route 46 expected to open in early fall.

There will be two job fairs for the race course: The first is in the former Fashion Bug in Austintown Plaza from noon to 8 p.m. June 9, and the second is scheduled from noon to 8 p.m. June 25 at Stambaugh Auditorium.

There are positions in food and beverage, video lottery terminals, finance and accounting, environmental services, surveillance, racing, count room and more; 65 percent of those jobs are full time with benefits.

“We want people with great customer-service skills,” Galle said. “It’s a great company to work for. We are excited about bringing people in. Our goal is to hire 90 percent locally.”

The goal is to hire all employees by August. Many of the jobs are tip-earning jobs, so, combining salaries and tips, employees would make between $30,000 and $40,000 for entry-level positions, Galle said. Details for a tuition-reimbursement program for employees of the race course still are being worked out.

Background checks and drug and nicotine tests will be done on potential employees. Galle said it is a “wellness initiative” to have nonsmoking workers and advised those who smoke to stop immediately if they wish to be considered. All Penn National Inc. — the company bringing the racino to Austintown — locations are nicotine free.

“[Nicotine] will disqualify [them],” Galle said. “We definitely expect [employees] to adhere to our policy.”

Mark Loewe, vice president of Ohio Racing Operations for Penn National, discussed a variety of jobs needed to be filled for the racing side at the racino including mutuel tellers, starting-gate workers, racetrack-maintenance workers and more.

Racing at the site will begin Nov. 24 and go until late December. After a short break, the racing will start again in January and go until mid-April. The racing will then move to Penn National’s ThistleDown Racino in Cleveland and start up again in Austintown by October.

Construction on the racino is on schedule with the interior of the main building underway, as well as on the 13 barns and 988 stalls and the 1-mile racetrack. Turner Construction Co. out of Cleveland is overseeing the project.

Those interested in attending the job fairs should first go to hollywoodmahoningvalley.com/careers and apply to the career-fair posting.