Bauducco job fair draws hundreds to Zephyrhills as company seeks about 600 hires

Bauducco, a Brazilian baked-goods company, held a job fair at Alice Hall Community Center in Zephyrhills to recruit about 600 workers for a new manufacturing facility, drawing hundreds of people whose line wrapped around the building and into the parking lot.

The event began at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, and reporters observed people in line as early as 8:00 a.m. Bauducco, which already operates a distribution center in Miami, is expanding its U.S. footprint and advertised openings for positions ranging from machine operators to electricians.

Hundreds attended the fair, filling the Alice Hall Community Center and the adjacent parking areas. The scale of turnout underlined local demand for manufacturing and service jobs and the potential impact of Bauducco’s expansion on the Zephyrhills job market.

"It warms my heart to see all these people here," a meeting participant said, adding that applying felt like a needed opportunity. The participant said the company's decision to expand into Zephyrhills made them feel proud about the city’s economic prospects.

The job fair aimed to fill roughly 600 positions; the reporting did not include a detailed hiring timeline or additional comments from Bauducco representatives.