Editor’s note: this story has been updated to reflect the fact that the job fair was canceled because of weather.

Update

The Rowan County Chamber of Commerce on Thursday announced it would postpone a job fair for laid-off employees of Daimler’s truck manufacturing plant in Cleveland.

In an email, Chamber of Commerce President Elaine Spalding said the job fair would be postponed because of expected winter weather. No date has been selected yet for a rescheduled job fair. Spalding said the job fair organizers are working to find a new date and venue.

A winter storm system this weekend is scheduled to bring multiple inches of ice or snow across the Piedmont and in Rowan.

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Original story

Companies are lining up to participate in Friday’s job fair for laid off Daimler employees.

As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 20 companies had committed to participate in the job fair. A number of other organizations such as the United Way will also be present to help the hundreds laid off earlier this month at the Cleveland Daimler plant. The company attributed the layoffs to a decline in business.

Friday’s job fair starts at 9 a.m. and continues until noon. It will be at the former J.C. Penney’s building in the West End Plaza, 1935 Jake Alexander Blvd. W.

A wide range of jobs will be available during Friday’s job fair, said RowanWORKS Economic Development Director Robert Van Geons. Some are manufacturing or production jobs, and others are office jobs, Van Geons said. He estimated hundreds of jobs would be available.

Job seekers aren’t required to pre-register, he said. However, those who register on RowanCares.com will receive email updates after the job fair if a business is looking for employees, Van Geons said. RowanCares.com is also the central location Van Geons suggested for information about Friday’s job fair.

Although, the job fair is intended for the laid-off Daimler employees, Van Geons said a spouse of a former employee or others would be allowed to participate.

Businesses scheduled to participate in the job fair include:

• Novant Health Rowan Medical Center

• Food Lion

• City of Kannapolis

• Gordon Foods

• Lowes Home Improvement

• Rowan-Salisbury School System

• Rowan County Airport

• Primerica

• Onin Staffing

• Imperial Brown

• The Resource

• Galvin Industries

• Shult Homes

• Advance Machining

• Hitachi

• Innospec

• RHA

• Piedmont Natural Gas

• City of Salisbury

• County of Rowan

• Parkdale #11

• Ben Mynatt Nissan

• Schneider Trucking

• Austin Enclosure

Service organizations scheduled to attend include:

• NC Works – Rowan

• Salisbury Post

• 211

• Jobs for Life

• Rowan County Social Services

• Goodwill – Rowan

• Rowan County United Way

• Rowan-Cabarrus Community College

Friday’s job fair was organized by Rowan County government, RowanWORKS Economic Development, The Centralina Workforce Development Board, Rowan County United Way, Rowan County Chamber of Commerce, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College and NCWorks.

Contact reporter Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4246.