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Company: Petoskey Plastics
Industry: Manufacturing (Film Plastics)
Headcount: ~600 employees
Locations: Michigan, Indiana, Tennessee, and Texas
Interviewee: Anthony Fichera, Talent Acquisition Manager
Petoskey Plastics manufactures a wide range of film plastics used across automotive, medical, construction, and retail industries. From protective covers on assembly lines to shrink wrap in retail packaging, the company’s production lines depend on skilled talent operating advanced machinery across four U.S. facilities.
When Anthony Fichera joined as Talent Acquisition Manager in early 2025, he inherited a familiar challenge: too many unqualified applicants and too little time to focus on the right ones. Most inbound candidates came through online job marketplaces, which offered reach but not precision.
“We needed better tools in our recruiting toolbox — something built for manufacturing,” Anthony said. “The volume wasn’t the problem; it was finding quality within that volume.”
After coming across FactoryFix in his LinkedIn feed, Anthony decided to take another look. The company had tried FactoryFix in a limited trial years earlier, but the platform had since evolved into a fully AI-powered recruiting solution tailored for skilled manufacturing roles.
FactoryFix’s AI Recruiters quickly became the cornerstone of Petoskey’s new approach. Acting as an intelligent assistant, the AI screens candidates, asks job-specific questions, and delivers qualified profiles directly to the recruiting team.
“If you can legitimately save time in outreach and conduct a quasi intake with the candidate, that’s valuable,” Anthony explained. “You’re gathering useful information before you ever pick up the phone.”
To personalize the experience, Anthony named his AI recruiter “Lloyd,” giving every interaction a more human feel. Candidates now respond directly to Lloyd, and in some cases, even call to check their application status. That human-like engagement has translated into stronger candidate experiences and faster decision cycles.
Since launching FactoryFix in May 2025, Petoskey Plastics has achieved measurable improvements in both hiring speed and recruiting efficiency.
Performance Since May 2025
Compared to manufacturing benchmarks — where cost per hire typically ranges between $3,500 and $5,000 for production and technical roles — FactoryFix has helped Petoskey Plastics cut its average hiring cost by more than 50%, while maintaining quality and speed.
FactoryFix has supported hires across multiple locations and departments, including:
“Anybody we’ve seriously considered through FactoryFix has moved quickly — whether we hired them or not. That efficiency makes a difference.”
FactoryFix’s specialization in manufacturing recruiting ensures that companies like Petoskey Plastics aren’t competing for attention in a sea of unrelated roles. Instead, the platform connects them directly with experienced tradespeople and technicians ready to engage.
By combining a growing network of skilled manufacturing professionals with AI-powered engagement, FactoryFix helps Petoskey Plastics reach high-quality candidates faster — all while saving time and reducing cost per hire.
“We’re hiring faster, spending smarter, and saving time where it counts,” Anthony said.
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