The Expansion of a Local Company Adds to 230 More Jobs to the Pine Belt
This press release comes from Area Development Partnership
HATTIESBURG, MISS. – SaviLinx, a customer service-based outsourcing firm headquartered in Brunswick, Maine, announced Tuesday a recent expansion into a new 43,000 sq. ft. customer service facility in the Cloverleaf Center. SaviLinx currently employes over 260 local citizens who work primarily from their homes, and this expansion increases the company’s local employment by an additional 231 jobs while solidifying their presence with their new leased premises.
In addition to these permanent, full-time employees, SaviLinx anticipates hiring over 500 temporary workers to serve seasonal contracts. SaviLinx will now employ 500 full-time employees, making the company one of Hattiesburg’s largest local employers.
Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker said, “Private sector job growth provides hope and opportunity to families across the City of Hattiesburg. It also further solidifies our city’s position as a destination for corporations looking for top talent and a strong work ethic. We are proud to support the expansion of SaviLinx into the Cloverleaf Center, and we look forward to this company becoming part of the strong economic fabric of our community.”
David Hogan, President of the Forrest County Board of Supervisors, said, “Forrest County is proud to continue to support SaviLinx here in our community. We realize SaviLinx is headquartered in Maine, and easily could have chosen to expand elsewhere. They chose Hattiesburg – and we look forward to nurturing this partnership and to building upon this development.”
“The Hattiesburg area offers an exceptional workforce and business support services and we are delighted to expand our presence here. We look forward to being an even bigger part of the
community with our new state-of-the-art contact center,” said Heather D. Blease, Founder and
CEO, SaviLinx.
Officials at the Area Development Partnership (ADP) have worked with SaviLinx, the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA), the Southern Mississippi Planning and Development District (SMPDD), and the Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES) via the Win Job Center throughout this significant recruitment process. MDA has agreed to provide $130,000 in on-the-job training (OJT) dollars to assist with the training costs associated with the startup of the new facility.
“SaviLinx is a valued corporate citizen to Hattiesburg and the state of Mississippi, creating new career opportunities for the area’s workforce by expanding its customer service center operations to ensure its clients receive the best service available,” said MDA Executive Director Glenn McCullough, Jr. “We salute our partners at Forrest County, the City of Hattiesburg, the Area Development Partnership, and the Southern Mississippi Planning and Development District whose teamwork with MDA played a key role in this economic development win.”
SaviLinx has invested approximately $354,000 in new equipment and tenant improvements within its newly leased premises to support this expansion. SaviLinx has operated in Hattiesburg since 2014 offering technical support and customer service for commercial and government clients.
SaviLinx works primarily with government contracts and, when presented with opportunities for aggressive growth, chose Hattiesburg to be home to their expanding employment. The company plans to increase employment in Hattiesburg by 231 FTEs within 2019.
