Four more area companies are now signed on to attend the St. Clair County Job Fair scheduled for Jan. 15.

The Fair, which will take place from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at Ashville City Hall, will include the Alabama Department of Corrections (DOC), Trinity Meyer Utility Structures of Gadsden, Unipres in Steele, Valmont Coatings in Ashville and Real Alloy from Steele.

This fair has been in the works for several months following DOC Director of Recruiting Capt. Mark Loman’s visit last year to St. Clair County. Loman appeared twice before local leaders to discuss his desire to see 108 open positions at the Springville Correctional Facility filled by area residents.

Loman said the fair has been carefully designed to provide qualified residents with a swift path to employment. The event has been timed one week in advance of required testing for candidates, which will take place at Bibb County Correctional Facility in Brent on Jan. 22. This testing is held regularly throughout the year, but applicants are sometimes required to wait for months before starting the process.

The St. Clair County Commission and the St. Clair County Economic Development Council are hosting the fair through a combined effort, as local leaders said they saw the benefit of filling the positions with county residents as well.

The State of Alabama Career Center will also provide services during the St. Clair County Job Fair. Registration for the event is free. For more information, visitstclairedc.com.

For those interested in starting the process in working for the DOC before the fair, Loman said more information is available at doc.alabama.gov or by calling (866) 293-7799.