Local company has blunt message for job applicants

This past week, Fred Smith Company, at 6105 Chapel Hill Road, put up two large flashing signs that say, "Now hiring drug-free people."

The 630-employee construction company, which specializes in both public and private road projects, has 67 openings – many of which involve driving trucks or other heavy equipment.

Brent Wood, Fred Smith's vice president of legal affairs, says that prior to the signs, 70 to 80 percent of applicants could not pass drug tests.

The up-front anti-drug message, he says, keeps all parties from wasting their time.

"Safety is a priority to us," Wood said. "We want them to go home every day with all of their fingers and toes."

The signs appear to be working – and with heavy traffic from the nearby North Carolina State Fair, the company felt like it was a timely endeavor.