US CONTACT centre corporation Convergys is taking a large site for 300 staff on a North East business park.
Convergys is in the midst of a recruitment drive to fill the 300 positions, created after it secured a lucrative contract with a telecommunications provider. To accommodate the staff the company is moving into a new unit on Quorum Business Park at North Tyneside.
The company currently has more than 60,000 contact centre agents worldwide and already employs 350 people on Tyneside. Tyne and Wear Development Company provided support to the company. Convergys operations director Mark Smith said: “We’re delighted to be able to announce such positive news and create a significant number of jobs at this time.
“It’s an exciting contract and underlines the quality of customer service Convergys is able to provide to clients.
“The assistance we received within the region was excellent. The funding secured is helping us to offset the capital investment and Tyne and Wear Development Company was instrumental in allowing us to access this support.” Development company strategic account officer Alma Harrison said: “These are good quality jobs, servicing new and existing customers, managing relations and stimulating repeat business.
“Tyne and Wear Development Company assists important, established businesses like this right across Tyne and Wear.
“As soon as we knew Convergys was involved in a job creation project we were able to advise and signpost them towards relevant support.
“This is a good example of how the public and private sectors can work together to bring about a positive outcome within a very tight timescale.” Quorum Development Partners recently secured £180m to build eight high-quality buildings totalling 450,000sq ft at the park
It has already spent £110m on the scheme and attracted tenants Aesica Pharmaceuticals, HM Revenue & Customs, the National Grid, IBM and the world’s biggest shipping company OSG.
It still has about half of the current development to let, but is confident it will fill this space and the new space. The completion date for the park is 2012 and, if fully occupied, it will employ 12,000 people.
