Southeastern Kentucky Rehabilitation Industries (SEKRI) is creating up to 100 jobs in Middlesboro with the opening of a new manufacturing facility.

A job fair to fill those positions at SEKRI is being held at the Middlesboro City Hall Council Chambers on Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“As the new mayor coming in, I had nothing to do with this creation of these jobs, but I appreciate all the hard work that went into this endeavor,” Middlesboro Mayor Rick Nelson said. “That said, we will be a great partner to SEKRI to make sure those jobs stay in our area.”

Ed Harris, chairman of the board of directors for SERKI, said, “I wanted to bring jobs to Bell County. With SEKRI leading the helm, these jobs will have a tremendous economic impact on the area.”

Harris also serves as executive director of the Bell County Economic Development Foundation and serves on the Pine Mountain Regional Industrial Authority.

SEKRI Executive Director Norm Bradley said plans are underway to have the organization’s seventh facility open near the end of February.

“We currently have a team of engineers and mechanics gearing up for operations,” Bradley said. “During this process, we want to begin hiring our workforce,” he added.

SEKRI employs just over 700 people in their current six locations in Kentucky and Tennessee.

However, according to SEKRI spokesperson Stan Baker, “The most amazing thing that SEKRI offers is employment opportunities to people who fall into the disability spectrum.”

SEKRI is a non-profit organization that began in 1971 to meet employment needs for those individuals some would deem unemployable. The company now has five facilities in Kentucky and one facility in Jellico, TN.