Finding a job can be a challenge even for the most able worker. For those who are disabled, jobs may be few and far between. Trace Industries, a Hopkinsville-based firm, sees the disabled as a workforce asset and provides training to their employees to become productive workers.

Trace Industries describes itself in promotional literature as a “Rehabilitation program.” Their employees are asked to perform tasks contracted by local industries and businesses.

Trace’s Trigg County Operation is in the Industrial Park. Mike Tucker, the shop supervisor watches and assists a staff of 9 workers he describes as “developmentally delayed.” He added that more workers are needed and welcomed.

Tucker believes strongly in his staff. “With Trace, our workers have a place to earn money, socialize, and be a part of the community.”

The range of work tends towards the light industrial, mostly manual assembly. Previous projects have included campstools, outdoor tables, refrigeration condensers, and a folding table used in the field by the United States Army. Currently, Trace’s Trigg County Shop is working on cloth stamps, a gasket for automotive hoods, and assembling a demonstration kit for field sales representatives. “There are few jobs we’ve tried and couldn’t do. In fact I only know of one Trace turned down. The marketing manager took a look at what was proposed in the contract and had to say no,” said Tucker, describing the range of jobs Trace has accepted.

One of their current projects, assembling a vacuum system for a rivet gun demands a product free of errors. “We’ve received very few customer complaints. I was shown figures for the vacuum assembly, and our defects were way under one percent,” Tucker said proudly of his staff’s work.

For the rest of this story, please see this week's edition of The Cadiz Record.