Economy

Customer-Service Company To Add 800 Jobs In High Point

by Paul Garber

Ken Muche, Alorica Director of Global Public Relations, speaks to reporters in High Point on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016. PAUL GARBER/WFDD

Expert Global Solutions was already among High Point's top-ten largest employers before it announced an expansion of 800 jobs.

Alorica acquired the company in June and a name change will go into effect in January. Spokesman Ken Muche says transformations in the customer-service industry means just having a call center is no longer enough.

“We offer text messaging customer service, video chat customer service, we run social media for our clients. And yes, the bulk of the work we do is on the phones, but that's changing because the American consumer is changing and we're changing with it.”
 
Officials with High Point and Greensboro as well as economic development groups sold the company on expanding service here. It's located off of U.S. 68 in North High Point near Greensboro.
 
"We are making good strides for economic development right here in our community," Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan says. "We know that what's good for High Point is good for Greensboro. What's good for Greensboro is good for High Point."
 
Muche says the area has a combination of people and logistics that made it a great place to expand.
 

“Understanding the work ethic here was very important," he says. "Good transportation system between the two cities, and then very good IT facilities and telecommunications infrastructure were very, very solid here as well. Those were some of the key requirements.”

Large-scale calling centers have had a mixed history in the area. Five years ago American Express closed its center near Piedmont International Airport, affecting 1,900 workers. CitiGroup also closed a call center that it had operated in eastern Greensboro for 10 years.

Muche says he's confident the local workforce will be skillful enough to satisfy the company's customers.

"They're going to do a great job, we're going to keep bringing in business and we're going to keep growing," he says.

More than 200 people have already been hired as part of the Alorica expansion. Muche says the company wants to add another 565 employees before the end of the year.

Once hiring is completed, Alorica will have a total High Point workforce of 1,900 people.

300x250 Ad

300x250 Ad

Support quality journalism, like the story above, with your gift right now.

Donate