A Local 12 commercial changed his life: How a second chance led one man to leadership
CINCINNATI (WKRC) — For years, a gambling addiction controlled Scott Maxey's life. Today, he oversees about 40 employees and millions of packages moving through a Cincinnati manufacturing company.
Maxey is the manager of warehouse operations at Nehemiah Manufacturing, a Cincinnati company built around an unusual hiring philosophy: A person's past doesn't necessarily disqualify them from a job.
"I always walk the floor every morning just to get a lay of the land," Maxey said as he made his way through the warehouse.
Part of his job is making sure the massive operation stays organized and accurate.
"When you see all 125 of these pallets in each of these rows here, we have to make sure that that is an actual count of what is in for that day," he said.
But before Maxey walked these floors as a manager, he said he was in a very different place.
"Winter of 2017, I was in very deep addiction when it came to gambling," Maxey said. "And unfortunately, I made several mistakes in my life that were quite severe."
Then came an opportunity.
"And when I came to Nehemiah, none of that mattered," he said.
A company built around second chances
Nehemiah Manufacturing was founded in Cincinnati in 2009 with a mission to "build brands, create jobs and change lives." The consumer packaged goods company licenses and acquires brands, develops products and contract-manufactures products for other companies. Its current portfolio includes products associated with brands such as Tide, Downy, Febreze, Dreft and Kandoo.
But a major part of Nehemiah's identity is who it hires. The company intentionally works with people who can face significant barriers to employment, including criminal records and gaps in their work histories. Nehemiah says it works with Cincinnati-area social service organizations to identify potential employees and provide job-readiness and ongoing support.
Its approach can extend well beyond the workplace. Nehemiah says it provides "whole life coaching" and support designed to help employees succeed personally as well as professionally.
For Maxey, that philosophy became personal. He said he first learned about Nehemiah through a Local 12 commercial his wife's friend saw in late 2017.
"When my wife's friend saw that commercial at the end of December of 2017 for Nehemiah on Channel 12, that's what began my journey," Maxey said. "And I knew that that's where I needed to be."
Maxey says he has now been in recovery for nearly a decade.
More than a job
At Nehemiah, Maxey found not only employment but an opportunity to advance.
The company's second-chance model is designed around the idea that someone's past doesn't have to determine what they are capable of doing next. Nehemiah says it considers candidates with criminal histories on a case-by-case basis and pairs potential employees with job-readiness and ongoing support.
"If you're here and you have the ability, the skills and aptitude to want to make a difference and better yourself, then you become an important member of this team and you can better the company," Maxey said.
Now that he is in management, Maxey is trying to offer employees some of the same support he received. Sometimes, he said, that requires a little tough love.
He recalled one employee who needed medical care but hadn't made an appointment.
"We're not leaving this breakroom until you call the number and you schedule that appointment," Maxey recalled telling him.
Then, Maxey said, the company made sure the employee had the time he needed to go.
It's a small example of the larger philosophy behind Nehemiah: Employment can be about more than a paycheck. For people trying to rebuild their lives, a job can provide stability, support and a path forward.
For Scott Maxey, a second chance did more than change his career. It put him in a position to help someone else take the next step forward.
