WAUKESHA, Wisc., (SPECTRUM NEWS)- Waukesha-based generator product manufacturer Generac is embarking on a hiring spree. 

The company says since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic demand for home generator sales have increased, prompting them to ramp up production. Generac president and CEO Aaron Jagdfeld says that while business slowed during the beginning of the pandemic, things quickly began to take off. 

“It was a record second quarter for us which is amazing given the backdrop of the pandemic," says Jagdfeld 

Generac is now looking to hire around 400 new manufacturing positions, mostly in their Whitewater and Jefferson facilities. The positions run the gamut from entry-level manufacturing roles that require little experience, to more specialized positions. Jagdfeld says they are actively recruiting. 

“We are taking a pretty aggressive approach to bring people in. Unemployment is high right now so we are getting a lot of people in right now that traditionally wouldn’t have been in manufacturing before," says Jagdfeld 

Due to COVID-19, the company has switched to socially-distanced interview options. They include holding interviews virtually as well as holding drive-thru hiring and interview events where applicants need not leave their cars. 

Generac says starting pay for entry-level manufacturing roles is $15 per hour, with more specialized roles earning higher wages. For more information about the available positions, you can visit their website, here.