Selma’s Bush Hog corporation is looking for a few good men and women to help the company continue its growth during what top executives believe will be a successful year.

James Bearden, executive vice president at Bush Hog, said the company has already hired over 60 new employees and is currently looking to fill 100 more positions.

“After this hiring process is over, it will bring us up to nearly 1,000 employees,” Bearden said. “This is a record high employment for us.”

The farming equipment manufacturer is filling positions in every major department, from material handlers and machine operators to supervisors.

Business has greatly improved since a mid-2003 lay-off, Bearden said, a renewed interest in Bush Hog products has led to higher demand.

“We are expecting this to be another record year for us since the history of Bush Hog,” Bearden said.

Bob Moore, senior vice president of sales and marketing, said 2003 got off to a slow start, due in part to a change in government programs for farmers.

“There was a late sign-up among farmers for these new programs, so money was late in getting to them,” Moore said. “This was a detriment to the farmer’s buying power.”

In July, the company was forced to lay-off around 100 employees,

every one of them has been hired back.

“By November, all those people had been called back to work,” Bearden said. “This new hiring is over and above the last round.”

Now that the country’s economy is rebounding and stock prices are on the rise, Bush Hog is reaping the rewards.

“Things have improved dramatically and we are seeing that improvement,” Moore said.

The company developed new products for use outside the farmer’s field. A riding mower and utility vehicle are just some of the things recently added to the production line.

“We predict this will be a great year, which goes well with Bush Hog and our employees in Selma,” Bearden said.

Bearden said the company is looking for people with manufacturing experience, but training is also done on-site.

“We want somebody who can come to work on time and do a good job,” Bearden said.

Anyone interested in applying for a position with Bush Hog should contact the state employment service or SEBCO agency.