Citing the increased demand for bilingual workers, Maximus, a provider of government services worldwide, has opened a new customer contact center in Edinburg, Texas, along the U.S./Mexico border, and expects to hire up to 400 employees by the end of next year.

A quickly growing region in the southernmost tip of Texas, Edinburg has more than a million residents, the majority of which are bilingual, making the region a popular location for a variety of call centers, BPOs, and other commercial, retail and industrial activities.

“As the Hispanic population continues to grow rapidly in the U.S., the related needs for that population grows as well,” said Raudel Garza, executive director with the Rio South Texas Economic Council, in a release. “Boasting a workforce that can fluently engage individuals in either English or Spanish is a huge plus for this area.”

Maximus joins several other companies with a presence in the area, including T-Mobile, Convergys (News - Alert), United Health Care, Time Warner Cable, Teleperformance, Infinity Insurance, Advanced Call Center Technologies, and Penncro. Currently, the area boasts more than 8,800 call center employees.

“We have a young abundant workforce with a strong work ethic. Almost all of the children being raised here grow up hearing and speaking two languages, and most residents can easily and comfortably converse in both English and Spanish,” says Nelda Ramirez, Edinburg EDC's Executive Director.  

A bilingual workforce is just one of many reasons the region has grown so rapidly. The past decade has witnessed unprecedented growth in population, job growth, and investment in the region.  

The Edinburg contact center will begin assisting Texans who call 2-1-1, beginning on September 6.

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