[January 25, 2012] New call center could bring 180 jobs to Anderson Tweet Jan 25, 2012 (The Herald Bulletin - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- ANDERSON, Ind. -- An-Indianapolis based company announced plans Wednesday to locate a new call center in Anderson, which could create up to 180 new jobs over the next three years. TeleServices Direct is a global provider of outsourced inbound and outbound call center services, according to a press release from the city of Anderson. The company plans to invest $1 million to lease and equip a 15,000-square-foot facility at in the Flagship Enterprise Center's business park, 2903 Enterprise Drive. The new call center opened its doors Tuesday and will handle services for the company's U.S. customers relating to wireless communications and Internet connectivity. "It's encouraging to see a Hoosier home-grown company with an international presence like TeleServices Direct continue to invest in our state," said Gov. Mitch Daniels. "Companies like TeleServices continue to show that Indiana has the most attractive business climate in the country." The company currently has 900 employees in Indiana and more than 1,200 employees globally and plans to begin hiring telephone sales representatives and administrative associates this month. Those interested should apply in person, call 221-7455 or find out more by visiting www.teleservicesdirect.com. "We like to keep our U.S. call centers in Indiana, where possible, because of the proximity to our corporate offices," said Patricia Totton, chief executive officer of TeleServices Direct. "Anderson was picked specifically because of its solid labor force and the existing infrastructure we found at the site to support the growth of our business." TeleServices Direct was established in 1989 as a direct marketing company and has since evolved into an international provider of call center services with facilities in the U.S., Philippines and Jamaica. The company has an established history with many Fortune 500 companies and has been consistently recognized in Customer Interaction Solutions magazine's annual industry report as one of the top call center operations in the world, according to the release. The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Career Horizons, Inc. -- TeleServices parent company -- up to $1 million in conditional tax credits and up to $100,000 in training grants based on the company's job creation plans. These tax credits are performance-based, meaning the company is not eligible to claim incentives until after the hiring is done. The city of Anderson will consider additional property tax abatement. "We welcome TeleServices Direct to Anderson," Anderson Mayor Kevin Smith said. "Anderson is a strong community for business and job growth and with the addition of TeleServices we add an additional IT services operation to our community. We look forward to the success of TeleServices in Anderson and their additional job and investment growth in the days to come." Anderson's Economic Development Department offered Career Horizons up to $130,000 in food and beverage tax funds to be paid at a rate of $500 per job for the first 100 jobs and $1,000 per job for the next 80 jobs employing Madison County residents. The city also offered residential tax abatements for employees. The food and beverage payments are capped at no more than $50,000 per year over four years not to exceed $130,000 in total benefit to the company, according to the release. Contact Abbey Doyle: 640-4805, [email protected] ___ (c)2012 The Herald Bulletin (Anderson, Ind.) Visit The Herald Bulletin (Anderson, Ind.) at www.theheraldbulletin.com Distributed by MCT Information Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]