Jetting Off to Work | Video

Sarahbeth Ackerman | 11/30/2012

With so many jobs up for grabs in Minot, employers are trying to compete with the oil industry by getting creative when it comes to hiring. People have many forms of transportation to get to work, maybe a car or a bus. For Douglas Einck, he flies on an airplane every week to get to his job.

"It kinda funny, you go on like Facebook or some kinda of social network. And you see people, like on, look what I rode to work, look at my new car, this or that. Here I`m taking a picture at 30,000 feet above and say, `Hey, how did you get to work today>" said Menards hardware manager Douglas Einck.

Menards has over 200 stores in the upper Mid-West and this is the first time the company has transported workers to Minot by airplane.

"Ya know, Menards accommodates for everything as far as where we stay, to the rides here and from work they get you. If we have have to go to the gas station, we use their cards, they really do a lot to help out. And plus the benefit of the extra pay is nice as well," said Einck.

Einck has been flying to his Tuesday to Friday shift for the past few weeks, but he is not the only employee traveling the distance to get to work.

"We do have two different flights per week and we`re looking at 50 people total. So you`re looking at 20 to 25 people per flight. And it`s the same people coming in on a regular basis," said Menards manager Phil Graef.

Graef adds because Minot has such a high demand for labor, this is the best way to attract and keep employees.

"It`s gonna be a permament solution to a problem that`s been around in Minot for a little while. Like we said, we`ve been here since `96 and I`ve been here since 2008 and we struggle with labor since that time. And we think this is gonna be a long term solution to help out to make sure that we can offer the best services possible."

By Menards flying in help, they are hoping the business will take off from here.

Graef says that even with all of the new employees, they are still accepting applications daily.

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