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Kirsan Engineering is working to maintain double-digit growth on an annual basis, find new ways to manufacture parts more efficiently, and introduce new ideas to customers to help them save money. That's a big to-do list, so what do you think the company's No. 1 concern is? Finding the right people. "It's the biggest challenge we have as a company-by far,"said Jerry Ring, Kirsan's general manager. When visitors pull up to Kirsan's building, a former beer distributorship, they will notice a giant sign advertising for a CNC machine operator. The sign has been there for three years. "It's the best tool we have had to recruit people,"Ring said. "And we have tried everything, including all the Internet things." John Liegakos, the company's engineering manager and part-time human resources department, said the Kirsan delivery truck even carries the same help wanted ad on its rear doors. The company can find all kinds of candidates, but they have no experience or skills. Kirsan tried in-house training, but grew frustrated after employees would jump to another job for a small wage increase after only a few months on the job. "They want to move so fast, but they are still making mistakes,"Ring said. "They don't know everything yet. If you look at when our fathers were learning this trade, they went through an apprenticeship that lasted years. These kids today don't want to do that." Older workers haven't proven to be automatic solutions for the job vacancies either. Some come to work for several weeks looking very promising and then stop showing up. Others have been laid off from other manufacturing companies, but lack the necessary skills or desire to fit into Kirsan's environment. In the meantime, the company will press on. Some big projects loom on the horizon, most calling for some level of automation, but workers still will be needed. Kirsan had 25 employees back in 2001; now it employs 50. Future plans mean the help wanted sign won't be coming down any time soon.