Outside Erie

24 Responses to “Corry Publishing Gets a New Name”

1. john morris
   July 22nd, 2008 at 9:54 am

   Very Interesting!

2. DAT
   July 22nd, 2008 at 1:06 pm

   I am glad they (Jameson Publications) are doing well and that Knowledge Park is getting utilized. Great! They seem to have found a market niche.

   I think that the name change should help people overcome the confusion of thinking that they are located in Corry.

   I just have to make the observation that I notice that they always seem to be advertising for people but they don’t hire that many. I understand the desire to be selective (but having interviewed there myself), they seem to want people who only think inside their box. I admit this observation may be sour grapes on my part. But others that I have spoken to have had the same impression. That of course doesn’t mean that they can’t be successful. It just means they may have a narrow way of defining it.

3. itsoverjohnny
   July 22nd, 2008 at 1:16 pm

   I think the observation as to the frequency of help wanted ads especially with the entry level, lower end jobs, tells volumes as to their turnover rate. Their ad’s paint a very sunny picture of a company, but I would be leary of anyone with that many openings on such a consistant basis.

4. Mike
   July 22nd, 2008 at 1:24 pm

   It’s nice to have a white-collar company that employs that many people in Erie. There aren’t too many of those in the area.

5. Peter Panepento
   July 22nd, 2008 at 1:42 pm

   My impression is it is less about turnover than it is about finding the right employee. Jameson has a reputation for being very selective. And I’ve also heard from folks there that they often have a hard time recruiting folks to Erie.

6. Blondie
   July 22nd, 2008 at 1:56 pm

   I agree, they are pretty selective and seem to expect strict conformity. I had a short interview there about a year ago. It must have been mentioned three times in my interview about their non-smoking policy and tatoo/facial piercing policies, none of which apply to me (I stated that after it was mentioned the first time). I also inquired about the amount of ads I saw for positions within the company and the interviewer assured me it was because of their growth.

7. Steve
   July 22nd, 2008 at 5:26 pm

   I too interviewed with “Corry.” I too can mirror their bizarre hiring practices. The interviewer (I got as far as submitting a writing sample, having already been through three or four interviews, a lengthy exam on grammar and other things, etc.) was very keen to know how much I’d earned at previous jobs, kept stressing how “close” they liked to keep everybody, etc. They mentioned the smoking and tattoo policy, and countless other things.

   Frankly, it struck me as somewhat “cult-like.” I have a friend that works there and he’s never said much to disagree with my take on the company, and I doubt they’ve changed since I interviewed with them.

8. Tim
   July 22nd, 2008 at 6:26 pm

   I also had a job interview with “Corry” not too long ago. It struck me as odd that the interviewer mentioned to me several times about what you were “allowed” to keep on your desk. It was even offered to me that violation of this desk policy could result in grounds for termination.

   I believe the other posters were right on the mark about the numerous ads for employment. After my experience I can surely say the ads are due to a very high turnover rate - and the “cult-like” atmosphere.

9. Danny Lucas
   July 22nd, 2008 at 7:42 pm

   Well, this is the way interviewing is going these days.
   We have zillions of people chasing BOTH jobs open in the United States on any given day.

   When I gabbed with the Human Resources at then, Corry Publishing, I found her very Human and very Resource-ful. We hit it off on many levels. In the original, and future conversations and emails, I found her to be a straight shooter to every question I posed. I would recommend this outfit based on my experience with Human Resources and all the time they took to answer MY questions.

   Keep in mind that the selection process is critical to any firm’s future.
   Once hired, you are a tough one to get rid of.
   Avoid those hiring mistakes and costs of retraining go down.
   Most companies no longer have a HUMAN in Human Resources anymore; so there is another plus at Jameson, I guess.

   Long ago, I interviewed for sales at Champion Bolt too. They were typical and had you in for multiple interviews. I came in again for what I thought was a final cut, and thought I stood a good shot.

   Imagine my surprise to find 6 candidates in the room for one slot.
   (my competition was just as surprised and no more enthused than I, but we faked it collectively).

   The interview continued, but not solo. It was ALL 6 at once!
   And, a pile of THEM on the other side of the table, to witness how the final cut would blend in with varying departments.

   The psychobabble industry has taken over all the job questions with voodoo and nonsense built in to the questions. This tells the employer if you will be a good hire, I guess.

   We paired up in 3 groups of 2 and did role play. I don’t remember all the crapola we said to each other; but all of us knew that ONE of us was gonna get this job and 5 go home empty.

   It came down to one more question. Ace this and YOU get the job.
   All that came before this moment was filler for the finale.
   My future in sales hung on this question:
   If You were An Animal In The San Diego Zoo, What Would You Be And Why?

   WHAAAAAT??? Hey, all I wanna do is sell some bolts here for cryin out loud!!!!!!!

   I kid you NOT! To sell manufacturers in Erie, PA some bolts and nuts, this was the crunch question.
   I came last too; wrong end of the table line….where is God when you need Him??? I had chosen the spot to sit by a lovely gal.
   Would it be fatal or fun?

   The short guy way down there said he would be a lion, but we were all snickering so loud at the thought of him being a lion, I did not hear the reason for his being one. Trust us; he was no lion.

   Some more animals were chosen with glib, standard, boring answers.
   I had the most time on my hands and two things became apparent.
   1) ALL the good animals were rapidly being chosen, albeit crappy reasons for the choice.
   2) I had to keep trying to come up with a new animal and a plausible reason for this goofy thing to sell bolts better than a porpoise.

   My role play gal was rather a stunner. She was unexpected (we ALL thought we were in as final candidate), but she held her own in the group. Beauty and brains; goes together like a …..nut and bolt??

   “And What animal would you be and why”, said interviewer to Mz. Stunning next to me.
   [I thought this might work in my favor with a gal asking questions of a gal; you don’t see this often]
   “I would be a Peacock”……………..

   Oh my God, I thought! Would she EVER be a peacock!
   No doubt in my mind she had chosen the right animal, but as she strut into full bloom, it dawned on me that I needed an animal fast and accurate, so my mind went to work and I missed the reason Miss August of Erie, PA would be a peacock.

   “Mr. Lucas, if YOU were an animal in the San Diego Zoo, what animal would YOU be and why”, intoned the interview gal.

   Quick as a honeybee I responded:
   “Oh, I would be a penguin. We are swift, agile, work well in hostile environments………and we walk funny to make people laugh”
   I replied.

   Movement. Paper shufflings. Silence.

   “We will get back to each of you with our decision”
   They did.

   The peacock got the job. Can you believe this?
   A peacock selling bolts in Erie, PA over a penguin.
   Stupid zoo.
   Stupid animals.
   Stupid psychobabble stuff.

   I had it with bolts! I went into the oil business instead, and
   “Hey Peacock, they gave me a car and a $5,000 raise after my third month! Plus I ate dinner at the president’s house”. “And commissions on top of salary!” And health insurance! “No overnights”, er, excuse me there.

   There was some good come out of this voodoo.
   My first call in sales of oil stuff had me meet a man who made his purpose in life to destroy all salespeople.
   His hate was intense before he spoke.

   “My name’s Danny Lucas. What’s your name?”, I asked the owner.
   “A$$-Whole”, he glared and dared in a sole scowl with the response.

   “Well, would that be Mr. Sphincter on the formal scale?” I queried.

   He busted out the biggest howl of laughter I had heard in a long time.
   We hit it off and oil sales was slicker than any nut, flatwasher, lockwasher, and bolt could ever be.
   God came through!

   And Peacock, if you are still a single strutter, let’s meet up for old times.
   Call me at 1-800-PEN-GUIN.

10. Paige
    July 22nd, 2008 at 9:50 pm

    As a former sales recruiter, you are supposed to say that you would be a “tiger” or some other type of predatory animal. Many companies — too many — use that question.

11. Descartes
    July 23rd, 2008 at 7:35 am

    I caution readers to be skeptical of posts that make outrageous claims against a company they NEVER worked for. I used to work for Corry Publishing. All the claims of a cult-like atmosphere and droid-like conformation are absolutely false. (There is no truth to the comment that you have to keep your desk a certain way or you’ll be fired. That’s a little ridiculous when you think about it.) The speculation about high turnover is not correct either. Corry Publishing is constantly advertising because it takes longer than usual for the company to fill positions and Corry Publishing is growing. Of course there is some turnover, but not abnormally high turnover. Corry Publishing, like other successful companies, has figured out how to run a profitable business and grow in economic conditions that aren’t so rosy. It spends a lot of resources recruiting the right people and training them, whether in sales, editorial, production, circulation, training, etc. (Why let everyone reinvent the wheel on a daily basis?) I’ve worked for larger employers and in comparison, Corry Publishing is much more accommodating and less strict. So, if you currently have a job where you get to do what you want, nobody holds you accountable, you get paid a lot of money and you receive great benefits, don’t leave; you’ve found employment nirvana. If you haven’t had that kind of luck, look into Jameson. There you will find a job that challenges you, pays well, provides good benefits, and is going to be around beyond your retirement.

12. Jim
    July 23rd, 2008 at 8:01 am

    I live in Erie, and there is a company called West Corp. that has a large sign out from displaying their company name. Under that, there is a permanent “wanted” sign for hiring telemarketers. This is a crappy job in anyones book - and the low-end job turnover is close to 3 months - I found out quickly after working there. This is a low-paying, telemarketing job. This make sense that nobody wants to make a career answering phones for chump change.

    I applied at Corry Publishing last year, and let me just say that it is next to IMPOSSIBLE to get hired unless you are PERFECT for the job. As this may be a great way to build the PERFECT company, it doesn’t seem realistic for growing quickly.

    It is easier for people to believe that Corry Publishing must have a high turnover rate since their ads are running non-stop in the paper for low-end jobs like a sales position. This can’t be right though because their sales jobs are extremely desirable for people like me - and people would fight to keep even their “low end” jobs like sales. I know people who make over 100K a year in these sales jobs - and sing praises about the company like it’s the best thing in the world.

    In a town where making 30K is actually considered “doing pretty good for yourself”, getting a job that pays over 100K is like striking gold. I can hardly afford the gas I put in my truck nowdays on my income.

    “High Turnover” may be easy to believe, but I think it’s more like “Too Darn Picky” about the people they hire. I made it through four interviews and to my suprise, found out I didn’ “fit”. I heard they have around 7-8 interviews on average before they decide for sure if you are right so at least I feel good that I made it to the halfway mark.

    well, i’m done venting about this - I might just re-apply - I hear they are hiring!

13. Mike
    July 23rd, 2008 at 8:16 am

    Jameson is taking some heat here for how they interview, but it’s a matter of economics. The demand for jobs in Erie is much greater than the supply, so they can afford to be picky. They probably get at least 10 times as many applicants as they can hire, probably more. I know it’s frustrating when you feel like you’re qualified and you’re not given the opportunity.

    With that said, that’s also probably why they have a hard time recruiting from outside. People probably don’t want to take the 20% Erie discount for a company that appears that rigid. But give them credit, they do provide 80 much needed jobs for Erie.

    I also think some of the interview questions, including places I’ve worked at, are downright goofy. If someone answers a question like “What animal would you be?” incorrectly, it could concievably cost them a job offer. Too many leaders of companies think they have some innovative foolproof way to find the perfect candidate, when it actually eliminates some great candidates in the process. I remember being asked to draw shapes during an interview, the very first part of the interview. I know they want to see how prospective employees think, but I have a hard time seeing how it predicts how a person will perform at a job.

14. Matt
    July 23rd, 2008 at 8:58 am

    Jim, you mention West Corp. I’ve heard some of the local economic development “experts” point to West Corp. and praise it as a sign of positive economic news for Erie. Yet I’ve known people who have worked at West, and the reality is not exactly that rosy. They pay very low wages and have high turnover.

15. Paige
    July 23rd, 2008 at 9:43 am

    I worked at West when they first moved into the area — at the time the wage was great for a recent high school grad, and the hours were very flexible. However, one can only deal with so much for so long.

16. Stacey
    July 23rd, 2008 at 11:06 am

    I interviewed for a part-time position with “Corry” years ago. I thought I did fairly well and went through the various personality tests and quizzes and interviews (I think there were 3).

    At one point, they asked how I got my first job. I answered honestly that I went in on a Monday afternoon, got called that evening with an offer, and started on Tuesday. They all snorted and snickered at how ridiculous that was and how it would never happen at their company.

    Anyways, long story short, they called me and very nicely told me that they filled the position with a full time person that currently worked there. I’m not sure if I would have been offered that job or not…

    Oh - and a friend of mine applied for an outside sales job with them - one of the interviews (I think there were 7 or involved her bringing her husband along for a dinner so that they could make sure he understood the job she was interviewing for…I guess on some level I get why they do that, but it struck me as weird anyways.

17. Stacey
    July 23rd, 2008 at 11:07 am

    Oh, and I did an internship at Champion Bolt - Danny, I’d like to know if remember the initials of the peacock because I have a pretty good guess as to who it was!

18. Matt
    July 23rd, 2008 at 12:02 pm

    This Jim Roddy person looks very young in the photo. Yet he is the head of the Corry/Jameson company. He obviously knows what it takes to run and grow a cutting-edge business in the rough Erie market. He must be one sharp individual. THIS is the kind of person that places like the Erie Regional Chamber we should be getting to act as their “point man” on economic development issues. Instead, they continue to retain Jake Rouch for this role–someone who not only never ran a private business, but who never worked at one either!

    Rouch’s entire career has been spent in government or
    quasi-governmental jobs. That’s probably a good reason why he is so clueless about attracting and retaining businesses in Erie. How can Rouch be expected to honestly understand the needs and concerns of local businesses when he’s never worked in the business sector?

    Maybe that’s why Rouch always acts “blindsided” whenever a company (that he claims he is in constant contact with) decides to pack up and leave Erie. We need someone who understands the language of business and who understands how to run and grow a business to be heading our economic development efforts. Jake Rouch has simply never fit the mold on this. It really doesn’t make any sense that Erie continues to rely on Rouch as the local expert on economic development. We really need someone new as our point man.

19. Jim Russell
    July 23rd, 2008 at 12:36 pm

    Does Jameson have an office in Pittsburgh (Wexford)? It sure looks that way.

20. Peter Panepento
    July 23rd, 2008 at 12:48 pm

    Jim:

    The company does have an office in Wexford.

21. Jim Russell
    July 23rd, 2008 at 12:54 pm

    Erie talent, Pittsburgh market? Or does the Wexford office make the overall talent pool deeper?

22. Danny Lucas
    July 23rd, 2008 at 1:54 pm

    Oh, and I did an internship at Champion Bolt - Danny, I’d like to know if remember the initials of the peacock because I have a pretty good guess as to who it was!
    — Stacey

    Stacey, I not only remember her initials, I recall her smile, her facial structure, her breathe, her mannerisms, and her laughter.
    Peacock need not get a swelled head on that; I have pretty good recall on a wide variety of people and places and issues.

    What else I recall was the treatment of candidates by folks on the other side of the table. I thought it rather cavalier to lead all of us to believe that a “done deal” was in the works, when in reality, we were being set up to be Gladiators in a Roman Coliseum to amuse the chiefs.

    My knowledge of fasteners is more extensive than any Engineer grad from anywhere. When engineers at 3 local companies failed to assess reasons for fastener failure, I looked at the particular problem and told them in less than 5 minutes what was wrong.

    There is always a reason for bolt failure.
    Swing a steel door in the air as it turns on a trolley in the sky, and it is the equivalent of bending a metal hanger back and forth until it snaps.
    The big bolts up in the sky on the trolley are nothing more than big diameter metal hanger wire. People below get hurt when the doors fall on them. The final assessment on that incident was a shock.

    Another major firm had enormous fasteners failing in a mixing operation. They failed to factor in heat from the friction of mixing.
    The heat was intense and required a molybdenum alloy hi-strength fasterner to take the molecular stresses appropriately. Forces of torsion, (twisting), shear, tension, shock, and vibration ALL came into play and the operation was routinely shut down. I climbed into that sucker for a half hour, made a recommendation, and the company followed my comment precisely,….including using a torque wrench with a cheater bar to stretch the steel of that diameter to proper torque chart values.
    The new fasteners worked forever. The company will close before those bolts fail. It was a pretty good buck, but quality never goes out of style.
    Sometimes, it comes down to the manufacture of the cap screw (a bolt takes a nut; cap screws are the same thing but go into a tapped hole).
    Some are quenched in water and some quenched in oil. The style of cool down changes the steel properties. You need to know which gets used where.

    Are the threads cut, and the integrity destroyed by removal of material (this is a cheap bolt). OR, are the threads rolled, onto the bolt and valleys of compressed strength maintained by no material removal (this is an expensive bolt, but it works forever…no maintenance after).

    Another place interrupted production considerably. Their staff does not know how to install a flatwasher properly. A flatwasher is punched out of a press operation. The inside hole has a downward deflection.
    On the opposite side, the flatwasher inside hole has a razor sharp edge as a result of production. That edge is lethal to bolts.

    Underneath every bolt (hi-strength), there is a radiused fillet to absorb shock and vibration. If the head of the bolt were attached at 90 degrees to the bolt body, any shock or impact would pop the head of a bolt, and the failure shut you down.
    The flatwasher is designed to protect that fillet, or radius under the head. Nick that fillet and all stress concentrations form at that precise spot. A couple of whacks later, the head of the bolt will snap off at that precise point, and you can see it in the resulting “wave” marks on the body.

    The inside radius of the flatwasher protects the radius of the bolt fillet.
    Unless, you put the flatwasher on backwards. NOW, the razor sharp edge from the underside, is cutting INTO the fillet and nicking it intentionally. The same bolt failure is bound to occur because someone does not know which side of a flatwasher goes up, and which goes down.
    Very common reason for helicopter blades to fly off, lawnmower blades go swinging at legs, and hi-tension electric towers to go falling down. i
    I suspect that fasteners are the reason we keep seeing all the scaffold collapses in NYC killing folks.

    Next, you gotta use the proper grade, the proper diameter, fine pitch or coarse?,…hell, there are variables galore and I doubt Champion knows ‘em.

    Enough bolt stuff.
    The table had many interviewers too.
    I recall one person in particular. She was earnest, but perhaps not suited for Human Resources (hey, they picked a peacock!).

    Anyway, years went by and I saw a wedding announcement for her.
    i said a prayer for her marriage to succeed in times when rampant failure occurs in marriage,…. more than in bolts.

    More time went on and the paper announced her giving birth.
    Kids need prayer today as the family is under attack, children are being ignored, and outrageous stories on kids come up daily in the news.
    Pray away on their behalf.

    Years more went on, and there was the divorce announcement.
    I have to tell you that the announcement really smarted. I had high hopes that someone somewhere could make a marriage work in this town.
    It is kinda like the daily obits don’t mean a damn to you until it is someone close to you. Then, all of a sudden, you read a name you know and nothing else matters.
    Now, it was time to pray for a broken marriage and the healing that never comes. Shattered dreams are as deadly as shattered bolts.

    All of this came from a job interview for a job I did not get and, I have often wondered if God didn’t just set me in the room to be ready to pray years later when He knew it would be needed.

    Fasteners are NOT the only thing that fails for the simplest of reasons.
    Sometimes, marriages pop the head of the people off because they are nicked, vibrated, shocked, impacted, whatever. Maybe the wrong grade was used for the application. Maybe the marriage was not properly torqued at the initial installation (some folks plan a wedding day but not a marriage). Maybe the heat of life is a factor that was not considered by the engineers of the marriage.

    I was happy to pray for the mom, dad, child, and all the new players that enter these lives after divorce. I hope to meet em in heaven and laugh about the whole mess.

    Penguins tend to do that.

    (and Stacey, your baby is already prayed for too.
    A lifetime of miracles is coming your way)

23. MikeJ
    July 23rd, 2008 at 2:50 pm

    Jameson is owned by the Petersons. They have multiple offices, just closed Philly to move those people to Erie I think, so I think the total ee count up there will be above 80.

24. Backpacker
    July 23rd, 2008 at 4:38 pm

    According to an acquaintance who works for Corry Publishing, the company has offices in Erie, Wexford, and Horsham (Philly area). I don’t think the Philly office has been closed. From what I was told, Wexford is being ramped up to help accommodate the growth the company desires. Obviously, there is a much larger talent pool in Pitts.

    From what I’ve seen and heard, some of these posts are right on. Corry Publishing is just very selective. They know what they want and don’t settle for less. High turnover is NOT the reason for frequent classified ads.

    As MikeJ wrote, the company is owned by the Petersons. They also own Vert Markets (another 50 or so employees) and some other companies.