Region could land new call center

Eastern New Mexico may be close to landing a new call center that would employ 600 people.

Clovis Industrial Development Corporation Director Chase Gentry said Wednesday the building that once housed the ClientLogic call center in Clovis is close to finding a new client.

The center, vacant since MCI withdrew from the site in 2002, is located on East Seventh Street. The prospective company is in need of 300 full-time and 300 part-time employees to handle in-bound phone calls, Gentry said.

“About two weeks ago, a company came into Clovis to look at the ClientLogic building,” said Gentry, who didn’t identify the name of the firm. “There’s about an 85- to 90-percent chance of landing the company. But they feel like we need to prove that we can get 600 people.”

To that end, the Clovis-Curry County Chamber of Commerce and the Albuquerque-based firm of TechConex has arranged what is being designated a “Call Center Expo.” The expo is scheduled for today and Wednesday at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales and Thursday through Saturday at Clovis Community College.

Officials with a company called TechConex, which helps businesses find a workforce, said industry standards for call centers place pay between $6.25 and $12 an hour.

According to Pat Vanderpool, TechConex’ executive director, the unidentified company has 2,317 employees at other sites and has an 83 percent retention rate for new hires.

Anyone interested in applying for the potential jobs can do so at the expo events, the Clovis Labor Department office or the Roosevelt County Career Center.

All applicants attending the expo will receive hiring priority by the company — contingent on the company deciding to start business at the call center, according to a press release from the Clovis chamber.

“They need something in the customer service arena, but something a little more technical than what they had in the ClientLogic building in the past,” Vanderpool said.

• Jobs could be coming

Applicants wishing to work at a potential call center in Clovis can apply at the following locations:

• Eastern New Mexico University — 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. today and Wednesday at the ENMU Computer Center, rooms 107 and 108.

• Clovis Community College — 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.

Source: TechConex