JOB MARKET GROWING
Empereon workforce near 100; expected to reach 450 by end of 2008

At a time when the area is reeling from corporate layoffs and store closings, the news from Empereon Marketing that it will continue to hire new employees at a rate of $10 per hour, was welcomed by members of the Coudersport Area Chamber of Commerce Tuesday. Empereon's general manager Jamie Evens (standing) told Chamber members that the customer contact center has hired 80 people so far and will add nearly 400 more before the end of the year. From left, Chamber President Stanley Swank and boar member Walter Baker look on. d

One of the area's newest employers is rapidly putting the pieces in place to become a major force on the local economic scene.

Jamie Evens, general manager of the Empereon Marketing customer contact center in Coudersport, reported this week that 80 jobs have been filled and hundreds more will be created through this year and well into 2009.

Evens said that the hiring process has gone a little more slowly than the company had hoped.

"The work is there to support a workforce of 600 or more," Evens said during an appearance before the Coudersport Area Chamber of Commerce Tuesday morning, noting that the company has been limited by minor "technology issues" and the challenge of hiring and training so many new people.

Revised forecasts call for about 450 jobs by the end of the year, with continued hiring in 2009.

Of the current 80 employees, 78 of them are former Adelphia and/or Time Warner employees. They are currently making outbound telephone calls for one of Empereon's clients, Charter Communications.

Long-range plans call for a 50/50 split of outbound calls and inbound customer telephone and email traffic for multiple clients.

Five management-level positions are already in place at the Coudersport center and two others will soon be filled, Evens said.

Management positions are typically filled from within, Evens said.

Most employees start at $10 per hour. The rate changes to $8.00 per hour, plus commission, after an initial period. Health benefits kick in after an employee completes a 90-day probationary period.

Empereon's customer contact center is housed at the former "tennis center" in west Coudersport, which was headquarters for a call center operated by Adelphia and, later, Time Warner.

Time Warner donated the building to the Potter County Redevelopment Authority, which is leasing it to Empereon. The company does expect to buy it eventually.

Empereon, based in Phoenix, Ariz., is an outsourcer handling customer contacts for large cable companies and major newspaper/media chains.