BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Bak USA is looking to hire an additional 10-30 people following a job fair Friday at the Buffalo Employment Training Center. The tablet computer manufacturer has been operating in Buffalo over the past two years, and its constantly growing staff is now 62 people strong.
Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown says he has been particularly pleased with the company's hiring practices.
"They focus on hiring people throughout the city of Buffalo and the region," said Brown, D-Buffalo. "It is amazing to see the diversity when you walk in to the corporate offices of Bak USA. I'm very pleased that we have a strong, positive company like this in our community."
Bak USA employees speak a combined 27 languages and come from 14 nationalities.
Chief People Officer Eva Bak says a person's personality and respect for others mean more than any other qualification.
"I look for that in everyone I hire," said Bak. "That is an equal thing across the board that I am looking for respectful people because we all interact, so no one is kind of put away in a place that doesn't interact with the rest of the company, which means that we are looking for very high levels of respect and integration potential as well as teamwork."
Bak says they are also looking for people who are passionate for Buffalo's renaissance and for technology, but while the company manufactures tablets, they do not require applicants to know anything about building computers.
"We can't really have that requirement because no computers are built in the United States. We're the first ones, so if we had that as a requirement, we wouldn't have anyone working for us," Bak said.
Bak USA features a tablet called the Seal 8 that more rugged than your typical portable device.
"It can be dropped, it can handle water, it can be fully submerged up to one meter," said Don Eaves, a customer experience specialist.
Bak says thanks to a partnership with Microsoft, its tablets are now being sold nationwide, and the company will soon add another floor for production.
Brown says he could see the company increasing its workforce to 250 people in five years, and Bak adds that continuing to offer competitive-paying jobs here is very important to her family.
"One of the most powerful ways you can contribute to a place is to actually create long-lasting employment opportunities, and so we're replicating that model here in Buffalo," Bak said.