One of the most interesting parts of the call center business is always the approach different companies take when setting up new centers in areas far removed from their headquarters. Lowes has announced it is undertaking this practice by spending more than $20.5 million in order to open a call center in the heart of the Midwest. The home improvement company will be opening the new call center in Indianapolis, and it will be the first center for the company that is located in the middle of the United States.
Commercial Property Executive reports that when the new call center is fully operational, it will bring more than 1,000 jobs to the area. Those new jobs should all be in place by the end of 2016, according to Lowes, as long as everything goes according to plan. The more than $20 million being invested by the company will largely go to renovating a 140,000-square-foot office building.
That office building had previously housed Eli Lilly and Company’s IT department from 2003 until 2013 when the company decided to let its lease run out. Lowe’s renovated call center is expected to be operational early in 2015 and it will support stores around the country with Internet sales, delivery services and repair services.
Not all money being spent is coming from Lowes’ coffers. Based on the operational plans of the company when it comes to this call center, the firm got some rather large tax breaks from the state. In total, Lowes is slated to receive as much as $5.5 million in conditional tax credits and another $100,000 in training grants. Both funds are performance based, which means the company won’t be able to collect the money until employees have been hired.
Lowes’ call center in Indiana marks the third in the United States and gives the company good coverage. The North Carolina based company also has a call center located in New Mexico.
Edited by Adam Brandt