HOLLAND, Ohio — Inside MacQueen's Orchards in Holland, you'll probably find Dixie Hendricks.
She's 76 years old and has been working at the business for 10 years. Her husband passed away seven years after she retired.
"I found out that if you sit home by yourself, you get a little melancholy, so to speak," Hendricks said. "You need to associate with people."
Talking to people is what she does day in and day out, working nearly full-time.
Ohio Lt Gov. John Husted said the state wants to expand the workforce to entice more companies to the state.
"When employers do site searches to find where they're going to locate a business, they will always look at the statistics of where the working age workforce is and whether or not there's an adequate supply of that talent to fuel their future," Husted said.
He said state officials are looking to get more young people to come to Ohio to work.
But Justin Moor, president of the Area Office on Aging of Northwestern Ohio, said the answer is already here: businesses should look to hire more older people like Hendricks.
"One of the things that a lot of people don't realize is that the age 60-64 population is the segment of the population in Ohio that is the largest of every five-year age group," Moor said. "There are a lot of individuals there that are willing, able and interested in working."
While Husted is more focused on the younger population, he does think older Americans can help.
"Anyone in any age group into the workforce helps us with the challenge of supplying talent we need," Husted said. "But let's face it, a lot of people in those age groups are thinking more about retirement than career advancement."
Moor said there are older people willing to work and is helping connect them to businesses. He's also working with owners to encourage them to welcome people like Hendricks.
Hendricks said every day, she encourages other seniors to do what she does if they're able.
"My concern is so many people my age sit in front of the TV and die when they could be up enjoying life, meeting new people and making new friends," she said.
For any seniors interested in working, the Area Office on Aging connects people to jobs. It also helps people gain additional skills to qualify for certain jobs. Contact information can be found on its website.