Investing in Fayette County: Firm opens $1.6 million addition
Any doubt about losing jobs at an area call center was heartily dispelled Thursday with the official opening of a $1.6 million, 10,000-square-foot addition to Vertex Outsourcing’s facility near Smithfield. “Vertex has had a very busy year,’ said George Dice, Vertex customer call center manager, during a brief program in front of the building where more than 350 people work.
Columbia Gas established the call center in a 25,000-square-foot building in 1997. Last year, NiSource, Columbia’s parent company, reached an agreement with IBM to take over those services. IBM contracted with Vertex, which “rebatched’ about 170 former Columbia workers, forming the base for its Fayette County operation. Today, Vertex Outsourcing provides customer services to Columbia Gas customers from five states.
Since last year, Dice explained, Vertex has consolidated other customer service work from Ohio, Kentucky and New Hampshire for Columbia at the Fayette site.
Expanding the call center, Dice said, “Is another example of our commitment to this area.’
“Our employees have shown remarkable patience and that work ethic,’ said Jayne Harrison, Vertex vice president of operations.
The company has added more than 180 jobs and, according to Jeff Williams, Vertex regulatory and compliance manager, there is room for further growth.
Williams, a lifelong Fayette County resident who formerly worked for Columbia Gas, also thanked Fay-Penn Economic Development Council, which owns the building and leases it to Vertex; the Fayette Chamber of Commerce and Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus.
“People say things aren’t getting better economically in Fayette County. This shows that is not true. Vertex is interested in being a player in the community,’ Williams said. The company has supported Smithfield Youth Baseball League, the Boy Scouts and that workers and the company donated $13,000 to the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, Williams added.
“This is a good quality workforce here with a great work ethic. We want to continue to be a good corporate citizen,’ Williams said.
In 2004, the call center was named the best in North America by J.D. Powers and Associates, Williams said. The center handles calls from Columbia customers in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky from 6 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week. Williams said local workers also man the center on holidays to handle any emergency calls.
About 70 percent of the employees, he said, are full time and 30 percent part time.
“It’s a wonderful day when we can talk about economic development and creating jobs in Fayette County,’ said state Sen. Richard Kasunic (D-Dunbar).
“Some people say the state should not get involved in economic development, that it should be left to the private sector. But without the state getting involved, these jobs would not be here,’ he said.
Gov. Ed Rendell in May 2005 presented Vertex and Fayette County with a $5.5 million economic package to keep the center open and foster its expansion.
Kasunic said there was competition from several others states, including Kentucky, Maine and Maryland, for the center.
Kasunic praised all involved in the project – from the Fayette County Commissioners to state lawmakers to the company.
“I have to also credit Terry Murphy (chief executive officer of Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania) who was not going to let this center leave Fayette County,’ Kasunic said.
“We were worried these jobs were going to be lost,’ said Allen Kukovich, director of the governor’s Pittsburgh office, said.
With the governor’s support, he said, “We were able to retain these jobs and see them grow,’ Kukovich said.
Fayette County Commissioner Vince Vicites said retaining the center and the jobs was critical to the local economy.
“Everybody worked together to retain these jobs and for the growth in jobs. This (project) is instrumental in setting the tone for Fayette County’s job growth over the next few years. This is a respectable, good industry that cares about Fayette County,’ Vicites said.