Answering the call: four new call centers to add 2,100 jobs in the region.

• Author: Mayer, Kathy
• Position: REGIONAL REPORT: EAST CENTRAL

WITH FOUR NEW CALL centers soon to employ more than 2,100 in Delaware and Madison counties, economic development leaders are thankful.

"All four are filling a niche in the employment scope," says Rob Sparks, executive director of the Anderson Corp. for Economic Development in Anderson and Madison County, which welcomed Affiliated Computer Services Inc.'s announcement last fall and Agape Communications LLC's arrival this spring. Delaware County's wins were IBM, opening last fall, and Sallie Mae, in late 2006.

'Any job an economic boon." While they may not be the highest-paying jobs--wages average $10 an hour--they do bring opportunity to the state, says Nathan Feltman, Indiana secretary of commerce and chief executive officer of the Indiana Economic Development Corp. "Indiana has to have diverse offerings of jobs. We have all kinds of skill sets in our population, and these jobs offer opportunities to rise through the ranks or increase your skill sets and move to another opportunity."

Richard Feinberg, director of the Center for Customer Driven Quality at Purdue University says, "Any job is an economic boon." His center estimates that call center jobs have a 1.8 multiplier, the amount of money a dollar adds to the economy as it creates other jobs in the marketplace by tricking down through retailing and services.

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"These jobs are also good because they are entry-level positions and flex positions," he says. "So they employ a lot of 'I-need-a-second-job' type of people. They are avenues of opportunity at the lower- to middle-end of the job scale, and that is needed as much as the higher-end."

Agape Communications LLC. Operations got underway in mid-May and the dialer placed its first call on June 3 at Agape Communications LLC in Anderson. The company's early employment of 45 will grow to 400 within a year, says Jeff Rogers, facilitator at the Anderson officer. Owned by Canada's LPALC Communications, a company founded in 2007, Agape chose a downtown location in the Union Building on North Meridian Plaza.

"This will have an overwhelmingly positive impact for retail and commercial businesses and even downtown events," says Sparks.

Initially, Agape is operating two six-hour shifts. "We are currently quoting work that would include 24/7 coverage for inbound clients. Agape will perform outsourced or contracted work in several trade niches," says Rogers. "Our target market includes controlled-circulation or trade publications...