KEARNEY, Neb. - After 200 local workers were laid off from the Eaton Corporation in Kearney, the community has stepped up to offer support by organizing a job fair in under a month.

The company announced last month that it will end engine valve production at its Kearney facility later this year, resulting in around 200 layoffs.

In response, the Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce, along with the City of Kearney and local businesses, quickly organized a job fair at the Kearney Sportsplex.

Around 70 employers attended the event, along with organizations offering professional and personal support resources.

Laid-off workers praised the community’s swift action in forming the event.

"there's a lot of different, I mean, there's some factories, there's some Buffalo counties here, there's states here, you got different truck driving places here, so there's a lot of different, and that's what brought me here," said attendee Guy Bidz.

Opportunities ranged from manufacturing, to trucking, to public sector jobs with Buffalo County and more.

Several employers offered on-the-spot applications and interviews to interested parties.

Chamber officials say that around half of the employees laid off by Eaton attended the job fair, with individual businesses also planning additional hiring events in the coming weeks.