Racetrack ready to begin hiring ahead of
planned fall opening
M a y 3 0, 2 01 4
By BRENDA J. LINERT , Tribune Chronicle
It was just two years ago when Holly Waingrow, laid off from her manufacturing job in Toledo,
decided to take a chance and apply for a job as a dealer at the Hollywood Casino Toledo.
Thursday, Waingrow was introduced as part of the management team in human resources for the
new Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course under construction in Austintown.
During the short two-year span, Waingrow said she was trained as a blackjack and craps dealer,
then took advantage of the company's tuition reimbursement program to earn her master's degree
in organizational leadership and move up to the local HR position.
The gaming facility's general manager Mike Galle pointed to Waingrow as an example of the
company's preference to promote from within its ranks.
Hiring is set to begin in the coming weeks for about 400 positions ranging from cooks, servers and
bartenders, to auditors and financial analysts, video lottery terminal technicians, security officers,
mutuels tellers and more. The announcement came inside new offices set up as the Hollywood
Gaming recruitment center behind BW3s restaurant in the Austintown Plaza.
The hiring process will officially kick off with a job fair from noon to 8 p.m. June 9 in the former
Fashion Bug location, also in Austintown Plaza. A subsequent job fair will be held June 25 at
Stambaugh Auditorium in Youngstown. Those planning to attend must first apply online at
www.hollywoodmahoningvalley.com/Careers.
Article Photos
Mike Galle, general manager, talks about progress at the Austintown racino site on Thursday.
Racino management said Wednesday they intend to hire about 90 percent of their new work force
from the local area. And based on interest already being expressed by local job seekers, Galle said
he expects turnout in the thousands for the upcoming job fair. New workers are expected to be on
the job in July or August, he said.
The $250 million gaming facility, under construction for about a year on state Route 46 just south of
the Interstate 80 interchange, is expected to open this fall in time for the first thoroughbred race
scheduled for Nov. 24. Construction is underway on the track and all exterior work including horse
barns and the water tower for water generated from wells on the property.
Stalls for 988 horses will open Nov. 10, said Mark Loewe, vice president of Ohio Racing Operations
for the company. Loewe said he expects applications for horse stall space to be taken beginning in
September. He said he expects most horses to come from stalls at Thistledown near Cleveland,
where the racing season ends Nov. 17.
The two facilities have an agreement not to overlap race schedules, with each operating about 100
race dates, he said.
Materials being used for the 4-inch thick racetrack top coating at the Mahoning Valley Race Course is
coming from a northeast Ohio quarry, Loewe said, noting the company's intention to use local and
northeast Ohio vendors as much as possible.
While 100 race dates are expected, Loewe noted that cancellations in the event of extreme winter
weather are not ruled out.
"We will have a policy in place and work with the local horsemen's group. We are not going to put
people in a situation where somebody can get hurt," Loewe said.
Inside the gaming facility, which will house more than 1,000 indoor, climate-controlled seats for the
track, 850 slots-like gaming machines, off-track betting, restaurants and an entertainment lounge,
work is in the drywall stage with decor work starting soon, Galle said.
It's there that the food and beverage workers, which will comprise the largest segment of hiring, will
work.
Galle said about 65 percent of the facility's new hires will be full-time. Those full-time employees
could be looking at wages and tips totaling more than $30,000 a year plus benefits, he said.
Customer service skills are the key qualification, Galle said, noting most of the other skills can be
taught.
Galle noted the company is smoke-free and does not hire smokers. Background checks and drug
tests also include nicotine tests.
"It's part of a corporate initiative to keep our employees healthy and happy," Galle said. "We
definitely expect people to adhere to our policy."
To smokers interested in applying, Galle offers this tip: "I would suggest that they quit smoking
immediately."