Working Iowa: Frontier Co-Op helps break barriers to employment

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - Frontier Co-Op is helping to break barriers for employment, and they’re hiring for multiple positions.

”Frontier Co-Op sources the highest quality herbs, spices and botanicals from about 50 different countries around the world, brings them here to Iowa to manufacture them and package them up in the bottles and bags you’d see in the store,” said Megan Schulte, Vice President of Human Resources at Frontier Co-Op.

The company has four locations in the state, including their headquarters in Norway. Employees can take part in several perks like transportation.

“We have a van that actually picks up around the Cedar Rapids area at various stops depending on who the riders are at that time and then transports out here to our Norway location,” Schulte explained.

Alisia Weaver started at Frontier as an intern 3 years ago.

”I didn’t have a vehicle at the time, so $5 rides to and from Cedar Rapids,” said Weaver.

Now she has her own vehicle and a child who enjoys the on-site daycare.

“On-site daycare is amazing you know it’s so convenient I don’t have to drive out of my way anywhere to drop him off, and it’s also really cheap,” Weaver said.

Employees pay just $100 a week for a child to attend, that’s significantly less than most daycare centers.

“In addition to our on site childcare though, we have a childcare reimbursement program. So even if you work at one of our other facilities, or you already have childcare set up you can actually participate in childcare reimbursement where we reimburse you part of the cost that you would have to pay for that,” said Schulte.

Frontier Co-Op is hiring for several positions, from the office including finance and IT, to manufacturing based roles.

“You don’t even have to have experience to come out here, you come out here they teach you,” Weaver said.

And they’re doing what they can to make sure people who desire to work at Frontier Co-Op can, regardless of traditional childcare costs or transportation limits.

“We just want really good people here for us to do more good around the world,” said Schulte.

You can find information on how to apply here.

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