Successful Venture Leads to Lasting Partnership

By Vicki Needham, NFJP Client Service Agent

Kansas SER Corporation

For many years I have partnered with Venture Corporation in different capacities. I have assisted them with sharing their job listing, successful job recruitment, and developing an On-the-Job Training (OJT) contract for a participant. With all the different ways that SER Corporation and Venture Corporation have worked together, the clients have benefited the most from the partnership through the years.

In the 1970’s, Orville “Butch” Spray founded Venture Corporation in Larned, Kansas with a small asphalt plant and a handful of employees. The original goals of safety, quality, efficiency as well as support to its employees and community are still very much the key focus of the company today. Over the years, Mr. Spray and a dedicated team of industry experts grew the company to become one of the largest asphalt contractors in the Midwest all without losing its key focus.

Today, Venture Corporation does much more than just asphalt paving. They have over 150 employees, four portable plants, and produce over 900,000 tons of asphalt annually. Their customer base has included local governments like the state, counties, city municipalities and private customers.

Working for Venture Corporation means working for a company whose emphasis is on future growth and family. The company cares for its’ employees by offering competitive wages and benefits. SER National Farmworker Jobs Program participants who work here have expressed to me that it is a great company to work for.

This past year, I developed another successful OJT contract with the company which resulted in a savings for the company in the amount of $1,400 in training and more importantly one more new dependable employee. Karen Seems, in human re-sources, stated, “I would recommend the SER program for anyone that needs a good quality employee to work for them. This program is easy to work with. The paperwork was easy to fill out and was paid back right away. We appreciate the hard work in finding long term employees.”

I believe the people that benefit the most are the clients that go to work in this wonderful family-oriented company. I look forward to working with Venture Corporation long into the future.