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<br />Abilene Reporter News: Local <br /> <br />. <br /> <br /> <br />Page I of3 <br /> <br />_~:,~,:";,,:'~"::~'r:-: " '''} <br />. ... '" -. .' ~. - ,. <br />,.:.....;. '" <br /> <br />.. I <br /> <br />Home News Obituaries Sports Dallas Cowboys Features Entertainment Opinion Classifieds We <br /> <br />NEWS <br /> <br />. Local <br /> <br />)) Around the Big <br />Country <br />)) Calendar <br />)) Columns <br />)) Downtown Cam <br />)) Fire <br />>> Inside-Abilene <br />>> Police <br />)) YourPlacelnSpace <br />>> YourBigCountry <br /> <br />. State <br /> <br />. Nation I World <br /> <br />. Business <br /> <br />. Education <br /> <br />. Military <br />. Obituaries <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. People <br />. Political <br /> <br />. Weather <br /> <br />PRINT THIS STORY I E-MAIL THIS STORY <br /> <br />City hopes to offer job incentive <br /> <br />$1.8 million would bring call center with 400 posts <br /> <br />By Thaddeus DeJesus I Reporter-News Staff Writer <br />February 3, 2004 <br /> <br />Abilene city officials plan to offer $1,8 million in grants to attract a call <br />center that would employ about 400 people. <br /> <br />The publicly financed incentive package will be reviewed and could be <br />approved today by the Development Corporation of Abilene, which <br />administers the city's half-cent sales-tax revenues to spur job creation. <br /> <br />Abilene is in competition with Joplin, Mo., to land the customer service <br />center from StarTek, a Denver-based business services outsourcing <br />company. As indicated in recent help-wanted advertisements, the <br />prospective center would receive inbound calls and does not involve <br />telemarketing sales. <br /> <br />Richard Burdine, assistant city manager for economic development, <br />~~1ttP whose department crafted the incentive package, said the company's <br />~.iRII site decision hinges on the local response to the ads. <br /> <br />. Texas Lottery <br />. Special Reports <br />. Contact Elected <br />Officials <br /> <br />. About Us <br />. AP Video News <br />. Downtown Cam <br />. AR-N Front Page <br />. AR-N Advertisers <br />. Choose Your News <br />. Fire Dept. Scanner <br />. Forums <br />. Live Chat <br />. Odds 8t Ends <br />. Police Report <br />. Search Archives <br />. Site Map <br />. Special Reports <br />. Special Sections <br />. Webmaster <br /> <br />. Home Delivery <br />. E-Mail Update <br />. Advertise <br /> <br />.~ <br /> <br />Click on the links below <br /> <br />"I know what the right decision is for them, but it's convincing them" of <br />that decision, Burdine said. <br /> <br />StarTek declined to comment. <br /> <br />The city, via the DCOA, is offering $1 million for site improvements, a <br />$700,000 grant for job creation and $100,000 for job training. The grants <br />are contingent on the company's job creation. The financial package <br />assumes that a minimum of 400 jobs would be created at startup with a <br />$6.8 million payroll. <br /> <br />Of the $1,8 million package, the $100,000 training grant does not have <br />to be repaid. The remainder is "earned" over a three-year period, A <br />portion of the balance would be forgiven annually based on the number <br />of full-time employees, If the company meets its job creation mandate, it <br />wouldn't have to a pay a dime, <br /> <br />Abilene's available labor pool- with the city's unemployment at 3.7 <br />percent - is a concern to the company, he said, As of Friday, the Texas <br />Workforce Center had identified 396 qualified applicants. <br /> <br />Nancy Smith, West Central Texas Workforce Development Board <br />spokeswoman, said the unemployment rate isn't necessarily indicative <br /> <br />Search Curren <br />less than 30 days <br />Search Archivl <br />.. . - ~ . . ... <br />31 days or older <br /> <br />~ <br />{:'Q~:';~~~-Y <br /> <br />IiOMES ...UTOS <br /> <br />@ SE."RCH C <br /> <br />~ ~~ ,":"t--~. ~--l ~ <br />" j>_~~!t~~!l~.!!'. <br />, ~ Tba Antlqu <br /> <br />htto://vvww l.reoorter-news.com/abil/nw local/article/0,1874,ABIL 7959 2625431,00.html <br /> <br />2/3/2004 <br />