PBS NewsHour highlights the positive impact of migrant workers in Springfield, Ohio
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From the September 10, 2024, edition of PBS's NewsHour
WILLIAM BRANGHAM (PBS CORRESPONDENT): Merzius says he came to Springfield for the same reason most Haitians did. He heard that housing was cheap and jobs were plentiful.
JAMIE MCGREGOR (CEO, MCGREGOR METAL): What started slowly -- we had an application pool that was a little bit different.
BRANGHAM: People coming to work here.
MCGREGOR: People -- people looking for jobs. What he's welding here, again, are welded axle components.
BRANGHAM: Jamie McGregor is the CEO of McGregor Metal, which makes welded parts for the auto and farm industries. Right now, about 10% of his workforce is Haitian, over 30 employees.
MCGREGOR: I wish I had 30 more. Our Haitian associates come to work every day.
They don't have a drug problem. They'll stay at their machine. They'll achieve their numbers. They are here to work. And so in general, that's -- that's a stark difference from what we're used to in our community.
BRANGHAM: MacGregor acknowledges the sudden arrival of so many new immigrants is a challenge on multiple fronts, but he believes this is partly how the industrial Midwest can regrow.
MCGREGOR: We want more jobs in our community. And in order to fill those jobs, some jobs need to be people who are not originally from here.