Jan. 15--It looked like a miniature oil show, complete with goodies for participants and booths with banners featuring company names.

But the 150 representatives from more than 60 companies at the Polydome at Flint Hills Resources Odessa Plant weren't there to sell their products. They were looking to find workers at the plant, which is scheduled to shut down by May.

Ben Pool, a gas-processing manager with Kinder Morgan, said his company was looking to fill 20 positions in the Midland, Iraan and Snyder areas.

"The way it's been recently, it's been tough to get quality folks into open positions," he said.

Flint Hills was a good place to find workers with years of experience as mechanics, instrumentation technicians and other positions, Pool said.

Lecia Lopez, a branch manager with Kelly Services, said the staffing agency was representing companies interested in filling positions at call centers and offices.

"We're not looking for anything specific, we're just looking for people that are interested in office support work," she said.

Even the U.S. Census Bureau was on hand, looking to fill more than 4,000 temporary positions in West Texas, which will pay between $9 and $15 an hour.

Kelley Lewis, a recruiter with DCP Midstream, was looking to find workers as plant operators and mechanics for the gas company. She said Flint Hills employees were good fits for her company.

"I think they have great transferable skills," she said. "It would be a shorter transition period."

While some companies were giving candy to Flint Hills workers, DCP was handing out stuffed flying pigs, which are a takeoff on the pipeline inspection gauges -- abbreviated pig -- that "fly" through pipelines.

Katie Stavinoha, Flint Hills director of public affairs, said that, in addition to the job fair, the company was helping employees with outplacement services and resume assistance.

She said that more than 300 employees were expected at the job fair. The plant had 395 workers when its shutdown was announced Nov. 5.

"We've had an overwhelming response from companies interested in making their job openings known to our employees," she said.

The event, which took up several rooms of the Polydome, was set aside for Flint Hills employees. Stavinoha said the more than 150 contract workers at the facility would have to find help from their own companies.

"We have every confidence that the companies that provide services are making arrangements for their own employees," she said.

Michael DeShazo, a longtime research specialist at the plant, said he was impressed with the job fair.

"It was a very fine job fair," he said.