26 Sep E-commerce firm brings 700 jobs to Eau Claire
Eau Claire, Wis. – The company that provides the e-commerce platforms for organizations like Aéropostale Inc., RadioShack Corp., adidas-Salomon, Nickelodeon, and Major League Baseball, is coming to Wisconsin.
GSI Commerce, Inc., a publicly-traded technology, logistics, customer care, and marketing solutions provider headquartered in King of Prussia, Penn., has announced the opening of its new customer contact center in Eau Claire, an operation that is expected to create 700 jobs.
“The folks that we’re looking for, basically, are customer service representatives,” said Greg Ryan, director of corporate communications for GSI. “We are deep into the hiring process out there now.”
The average employee will earn about $10 per hour, a number that could increase during peak seasons, Ryan said.
The new facility represents an $8 million investment from GSI, assisted by $3 million in tax credits and a $1 million loan from the Wisconsin Department of Commerce.
Gov. Jim Doyle spoke at the opening ceremony, saluting the company that could be expected to add another 32 jobs at the new location by December 2009.
“GSI’s decision to have the customer contact center here in Eau Claire is a reflection of the high quality workforce that Wisconsin has to offer and the positive business climate we have created in Wisconsin,” Doyle said in prepared remarks.
GSI works with approximately 60 retailers, branded manufacturers, entertainment companies, and professional sports organizations to set up ways for companies to sell their products online.
“We are very excited about coming to Eau Claire,” said Bob Wuesthoff, executive vice president of global operations for GSI. “We have received tremendous support from the local, county, and state governments and the associated economic groups.”
The location will be GSI’s second customer care center after its first in Melbourne, Fla.
“We wanted a facility that wasn’t exactly right next to that so that we had redundancy and backup,” Ryan said. “Obviously Melbourne, Florida is right there in the middle of hurricane alley, and we didn’t want a call center right next to that one.”
The depth of the labor pool in the area and the readiness of the building also contributed to GSI’s decision to locate in Eau Claire. The facility is not fully operational yet, but GSI is working to find and train a staff in anticipation of a busy holiday selling season in the fourth quarter.
GSI also operates two fulfillment centers in Louisville and Shepherdsville, Ken., and a western office in Los Angeles, Calif. The company currently employs more than 1,600 people at its King of Prussia facility, where it handles R&D. No research or development functions will be relocated to Eau Claire
For GSI’s second quarter ended July 1, 2006, the company reported net revenues of $119.6 million and a net loss of $3.6 million, or 0.08 cents per share, compared to net revenues of $91.9 million and a net loss of $2.9 million, or 0.07 cents per share, for 2005’s fiscal second quarter.
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