UTILITY LABORER

Utility Laborer / Utility Maintenance Laborer

The Utility Laborer / Utility Maintenance Laborer performs a combination of general labor, housekeeping, operational support, and light maintenance duties to assist in the safe and efficient operation of the cottonseed oil mill. This position supports both production and maintenance teams by performing facility upkeep, equipment cleaning, preventive maintenance support, lubrication, material handling, minor mechanical repairs, and shutdown assistance while maintaining compliance with safety, feed quality, and environmental standards.

This role is expected to work across multiple departments and assist with plant reliability, cleanliness, and operational continuity.

Key Responsibilities

• Maintain clean and safe work areas through daily housekeeping and sanitation activities.
• Sweep, shovel, vacuum, wash down, and remove cottonseed dust, hulls, lint, oil residue, meal product, and debris from work areas.
• Clean around conveyors, elevators, motors, pumps, presses, pits, drag conveyors, tanks, catwalks, and production equipment.
• Assist production personnel with seed handling, material movement, loading/unloading, and operational support tasks.
• Move materials, tools, equipment, and supplies throughout the facility.
• Assist in truck, railcar, warehouse, or storage area operations when needed.
• Support production startups, changeovers, and shutdown activities.
• Complete other duties assigned.

Maintenance Support Duties

• Assist maintenance personnel with repairs, equipment inspections, and preventive maintenance tasks.
• Perform basic mechanical duties such as replacing belts, changing filters, tightening hardware, greasing bearings, and assisting with minor repairs.
• Lubricate motors, bearings, gearboxes, chains, and plant equipment according to preventive maintenance schedules.
• Assist with maintenance of conveyors, augers, presses, pumps, motors, elevators, fans, valves, piping systems, and material handling equipment.
• Help clean, disassemble, and reassemble equipment during maintenance outages and scheduled shutdowns.
• Assist in changing screens, chains, sprockets, hoses, seals, gaskets, and worn components.
• Prepare work areas, tools, and materials for maintenance jobs.
• Perform basic painting, facility repair, welding preparation, and grounds maintenance as assigned.
• Assist electricians and mechanics during troubleshooting and repair work.
• Identify and report unusual equipment noises, leaks, vibrations, overheating, or unsafe operating conditions.

Preventive Maintenance & Reliability

• Conduct routine inspections of assigned areas and equipment.
• Check for leaks, excessive wear, loose components, abnormal sounds, and housekeeping concerns.
• Support preventive maintenance programs to reduce downtime and improve equipment reliability.
• Document completed tasks and communicate maintenance concerns to supervisors.

Safety & Compliance

• Follow all company safety policies, plant rules, and operating procedures.
• Wear required PPE at all times.
• Follow lockout/tagout (LOTO), confined space, hot work, and machine guarding requirements.
• Participate in safety meetings and required training.
• Report hazards, near misses, injuries, or unsafe conditions immediately.
• Maintain compliance with feed safety, quality, housekeeping, and environmental standards.

Qualification Requirements: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience: Less than high school education; or up to one month experience or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Language Skills: Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence and memos. Ability to write simple correspondence. Ability to effectively present information one-on-one and in small group situations to customers, clients, and other employees of the organization.

Mathematical Skills: Ability to add and subtract two-digit numbers and to multiply and divide with 10's and 100's. Ability to perform these operations using units of American money and weight measurement, volume, and distance.

Reasoning Ability: Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but uninvolved written or oral instructions. Ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations: Driver's license preferred.

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Work performed in a production facility with exposure to moving machinery, high noise levels, dust, and hot/cold environments.
• Frequent standing, walking, bending, climbing ladders, and lifting up to 50 lbs, and working at heights of 20+ feet or more.
• Must be willing to work flexible shifts, including nights, weekends, and overtime as needed.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand and walk. The employee frequently is required to talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; or smell. The employee must frequently lift and/or move to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.

This is a safety-sensitive position and all applicable policies, including drug tests and background checks will apply.

Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works near moving mechanical parts and in outside weather conditions. The employee occasionally works in high, precarious places and is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, fumes or airborne particles, risk of electrical shock, and vibration.

The noise level in the work environment is usually loud and requires necessary ear protection. Use of personal protective equipment such as safety glasses, respirators, hearing protectors, etc. is required in designated areas.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Statement

Plainsman Company, LLC. is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other legally protected status.

We value diversity and inclusion in our workplace and believe that a variety of perspectives foster innovation and success. Our hiring, promotion, compensation, and training practices are designed to ensure fairness and equity for all employees.

PLAINSMAN COMPANY, LLC. complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment, including but not limited to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), and other relevant statutes