Customer Service Company Opening Call Center, Hiring 1,000+ in Ohio

PlusOne Communications, a new provider of customer care services to the healthcare and communications industries, will open a call center in Akron, Ohio, according to city officials. The company plans to begin operations at the beginning of next month with an initial work force of 30 employees, with plans to grow to 200 employees by fall and to more than 1,000 over the next 18 months. The Akron Beacon Journal reports that the center will be housed in the former Firestone Bank, renamed the Verge Building; the property is owned by Jill Bacon-Madden, wife of PlusOne Communications president Robert Madden. The building was purchased for $2 from the city in 2007, and Madden tells the Journal that the company has invested more than $5 million in renovations and equipment, with contributions from the city of approximately $1.5 million to improve sidewalks, lighting, parking, and landscaping. According to the Journal, company salaries will range from $20,000 to $30,000 per year for representatives, with mid-level managers earning $35,000 to $40,000 per year and upper managers earning $60,000 to $100,000 per year; employees will also receive benefits including medical insurance. "We have a great labor work force here," says Madden, quoted in the Journal. "We have people who are disciplined. They show up for work on time. They work hard when they are working."