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Several Tampa Bay companies are expanding by hiring hundreds of employees.
But those jobs aren't in Tampa.
For example, Sykes Enterprises, a business outsourcing services company, recently opened a new customer support center in Montgomery, Ala., where it is expected to create 500 new jobs over the next three years. Half of those positions will be filled when the new center opens in September, with a typical wage coming in at about $10 per hour.
Tampa-based Sykes has nearly 70 customer centers in 21 countries around the world, with more than 20 of them in the United States. The latest center will bring its total employee count to about 51,000, with more than 38,000 working as “customer contact agents.”
Another area business, Cott Corp., isn't creating quite as many jobs. But those positions are closer to Tampa.
Last week, Florida Gov. Rick Scott helped the Tampa-based beverage producer announce its new call center in Lakeland, a consolidation of two other centers. The move is expected to bring 400 jobs by the end of the year.
Percentage-wise, Cott's employee growth will be more significant than Sykes. At the beginning of the year, Cott boasted a little less than 9,200 employees. With this new call center, it will jump 4%.
Cott will operate the 72,000-square-foot facility through its subsidiary, DS Services. That division is responsible for direct-to-consumer bottled water, office coffee and water filtration services on a national level.
Both Sykes and Cott have been stronger financially of late, as well. Sykes profit jumped 52% in the first quarter to $15.6 million, while Cott countered a loss with a 49% boost in revenue to $709.8 million.
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