Gov. Matt Bevin today announced Faneuil Inc., a national customer service outsourcing company, plans to establish a new call center in Lexington, creating 450 full-time jobs over the next two-and-a-half years.
“Faneuil joins a growing list of business-services companies that recognize the strategic advantages of operating from Kentucky,” Gov. Bevin said. “We are excited to welcome them to the Bluegrass State, as they bring strategic relationships with many national-level brands and other well-known organizations. Faneuil’s commitment to community service will also be a strong asset to the Lexington area, and we look forward to a long and prosperous partnership.”
Company leaders plan to lease a building at 1500 Aristides Blvd. in Lexington. They aim to steadily increase recruiting to employ approximately 200 people this year, potentially growing to 450 by the close of 2021.
“We sincerely appreciate the warm welcome into the Lexington community as we launch our first Kentucky based contact center site,” said Faneuil President and CEO Anna Van Buren. “In addition to its spectacular landscapes and solid sense of community, Lexington's flourishing business environment offers a variety of opportunities for Faneuil's strategic objectives and for our anticipated employees. This new location not only represents our success and continual growth, but also demonstrates Faneuil’s commitment to domestic job creation as well as to supporting local economies across the country. We are excited to add this community and our newest Lexington employees to Faneuil’s growing business family.”
Founded more than 25 years ago and headquartered in Hampton, Va., Faneuil provides a broad range of business process outsourcing, including customer care, back office and technical support. The company employs more than 5,500 people nationwide and provides customer service for commercial and government clients in sectors including transportation and tolling, health and human services, utilities, state and municipal governments and retail services.
Earlier this year the company received a contract to handle customer service for the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority. Faneuil also recently announced new centers in Wichita, Kan.; Orlando, Fla.; and Sacramento, Calif.
Rep. George Brown Jr., of Lexington, welcomed the company.
“This is a major announcement that will have a positive impact on Lexington and the surrounding region for years to come,” said Rep. Brown. “I want to thank Faneuil for making this sizable investment and helping so many families with these new jobs. I also appreciate the hard work by our local and state economic development leaders, and have been proud to work alongside them.”
Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton said the company’s impact will benefit the city.
“Our unemployment rate is low, but we still have citizens who need jobs,” Mayor Gorton said. “Faneuil is bringing jobs with benefits that will meet the needs of many of our citizens.”
Bob Quick, president and CEO of Commerce Lexington Inc., said the company’s new operation will find the city a welcoming partner and a great location.
“Commerce Lexington Inc. is excited to welcome Faneuil to our community as a new corporate citizen,” Quick said. “Lexington’s strong business and professionals services industry and low cost of doing business were key components to Faneuil’s decision to locate in our city. We look forward to building our relationship with Faneuil as they establish operations in Lexington.”
To encourage the investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) in July preliminarily approved the company for tax incentives up to $1.5 million through the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based incentive allows a company to keep a portion of the new tax revenue it generates over the agreement term through corporate income tax credits and wage assessments by meeting job and investment targets.
In addition, Faneuil can receive resources from the Kentucky Skills Network. Through the Kentucky Skills Network, companies can receive no-cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced-cost customized training and job training incentives.
(provided by Commonwealth of Kentucky Governor's Office)
