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Kalispell closes in on deal with TeleTech

January 22, 2004 /

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A final agreement to bring a major new employer to town could be signed as early as next week, Kalispell officials said Wednesday.

By William L. Spence
The Daily Inter Lake

The deal involves TeleTech Inc., a billion-dollar firm based in Englewood, Colo., that offers telephone- and Internet-based customer support and technical services to a variety of customers.

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Kalispell officials have been negotiating with TeleTech for several months over the firm opening a new call center in Gateway West Mall, in space that’s jointly owned by the city and the Flathead County port authority.

Previous announcements indicated the company would provide 125 jobs, including 100 full-time positions, during its first year of operation. That would climb to 425 jobs and 340 full-time positions within three years, with a minimum pay of $8 per hour, plus a 20 percent benefits package.

In exchange, the city would provide free rent for up to 10 years if the employment targets are met.

City Manager Chris Kukulski said Wednesday that there have been a few changes since the proposal was first announced last month. He declined to discuss the details until a final agreement is released in the next week or two, but said the basic rent-for-jobs concept remains in place.

Furthermore, the deal continues to ensure that the debt payments on the bond issued to purchase the Gateway West space four years ago will be covered by TeleTech.

"Kalispell residents won’t get stuck with those payments," Kukulski said. "That was a paramount concern."

Stream International previously occupied the mall space.

It closed its call center last August, citing a worldwide decline in demand, and put more than 300 people out of work.

Kukulski said it’s still unclear when TeleTech would actually start hiring people here. Its lease was previously expected to start on Feb. 1 — although that may have changed by now — but it will take some time to renovate the space and get it ready for ongoing operations.

Reporter Bill Spence may be reached at 758-4459 or by e-mail at [email protected]