PITTSFIELD, Maine — A Maine-based company decided to expand after another company shut its doors.
Argo Marketing Group has moved into the former Global Contact Services office, three months after GCS laid off 65 employees.
“I saw an opportunity,” said Jason Levesque, CEO of Argo Marketing Group, a telemarketing business based in Lewiston. “I was looking at expansion in my 2012 forecast.”
The process of moving into the building was a quick one, thanks to Pittsfield Town Manager Kathryn Ruth and landlord Tom Auger, said Levesque. The abandoned furniture left by GCS also helped.
“It’s been such a quick turnaround. We repainted, put in new computers, new technology and we’re not done yet. There’s so much left to do,” said Levesque.
Levesque said 25 people have been hired and more are being interviewed for another shift. He said the business went live on Dec. 30.
“We’ve been fairly aggressive, yet manageable,” he said.
Levesque said he started Argo Marketing Group in 2003 in Lewiston. Today, he has 75 employees with the Pittsfield expansion. His Lewiston center handles calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including calls from the United Kingdom and Australia, he said. He hopes Pittsfield eventually will do the same.
“Two hundred people in that facility is doable [in rotating shifts],” said Levesque.
“In the next four to six months, we’ll be full in here,” said customer service manager Nicole Morgan.
The news of the office being opened was welcomed by former GCS employees.
“Job. Employment. Being back to work. It was amazing,” said Stephen Packard of Newport, who also worked at GCS. He said 22 of the 25 employees working now are former workers at GCS.
Morgan has been impressed with the quality of workers she has seen.
“They’re 15-20 minutes early for their shifts. They’re back early from their breaks and lunch. They’re incredible,” she said.
The atmosphere is different than it was a GCS, said Packard.
“You can walk in here and know you’re not going to get yelled at on every call. That is big,” said Packard.
The employees receive customer service calls and also make sales, said Morgan. GCS dealt mostly with sales calls, according to Packard.
GCS was “doing stuff for Bank of America. Here, it’s stuff for products you’d see on TV. Any questions they have, we answer,” said Packard.
Having a Maine-based company fill the gap left by GCS was welcomed, said Ruth.
“We’re very excited. They have a wonderful vision for the future,” said Ruth. “We felt very comfortable with [Levesque]. He means to do good.”
Morgan said it’s important for Argo’s employees to be happy, and Levesque is a big part of making that happen.
“He’s directly involved. He wants to make sure everyone’s happy who’s here. He buys pizza, Dunkin’ Donuts gift cards, anything to boost morale and help people stay positive,” said Morgan.
Packard noticed the extra effort given by the CEO.
“He’s here, and that’s the best thing. He is the CEO and when we came in for our first day of training, he was there and introduced himself and introduced us to what we were going to do. That was cool,” said Packard. “You usually don’t get to see a lot of that because they’re usually behind their desks, filling out paperwork, [but] this guy is here. He’s down to earth and he’s a really nice person.”
Morgan encouraged people to keep applying.
“You don’t have to have experience in this,” she said.
Is it just me or is this really hard to get excited about? 65 cubies turned into 25. And how long will this operation be around? I am glad for the folks who got the jobs back, but fly-by-night call centers operating out of strip malls are not the way to economic prosperity…
Josephinecote- Its 100 Seats and we are growing in increments of 25 in order to manage growth. I have built call center operations for the past 10 years around the world and Argo’s main office in Lewiston has been operating a 40 seat facility for over three years. As for the strip mall part, I like being sandwiched between a subway and a Hannaford. Alot easier to pick up that gallon of milk for the wife before you go home!
I applaud your spirit and drive. I hope you succeed.
In my observations, call centers appear fickle, fragile and contract dependant. Limited capital investment means it’s easy to shut it down and walk when a major contract doesn’t get renewed. Lock the door and turn off the lights. Leave the cubies and reception desk for the next occupant. Put a note on the front door for the employees.
Diversity is great and call centers certainly are a part of that. Call centers have sprouted in Maine because of the vast pool of cheap labor. But we need brick and mortar industry desperately. Industry and business that puts down roots and invests in property, plant and equipment. Industry and business that provides long-term security, growth opportunities and real salaries and benefits.
Josephine….remove the blinders please. Mr. Levesque has invested his hard earned money into his business and now this location. His company provides jobs and benefits as well as a chance to grow in the company. Your ‘observations’ are weak and lack any knowledge of Jason and his company and the success it’s had. Argo has roots in Maine, invests in equipment and more importantly, it’s people and provides both long term roots and security as long as the employee performs. In spite of the anti-business climate developed by Maine over the past 30 plus years, Jason Levesque needs to be thanked for not taking this expansion out of state.
Well jj, why would he take it out of state? So he could pay more for his labor? You do know that labor is the single largest expense of a call center right? Median salary of an inbound rep for a call center nationwide is $29,000 per year. So I would hazard a guess that here in Maine, reps are on the low end of the median. Let’s be generous and say they make $25,000 per year. That’s $12.01 per hour before taxes. Livable? Maybe. Prosperous? Not a chance. Why don’t you take off the rose colored glasses.
Yep….let’s say your right, it’s 25K. Now, let’s add benefits. Oh, that’s right, benefits, forgot that right MSSSSSS. Cote? Why would he take it out of state, why don’t you ask Roxanne Quimby why she moved her business out of state. Lower wages, Josephine. Not to mention tax breaks, states welcoming new businesses instead of punishing them with taxes, fees, and bleeding them dry. Utility costs are higher in Maine, doesn’t matter right, Josephine? Why don’t you remove your blinders Josephine and wake up. The man has invested here. Real jobs, here. By the way, $12 bucks an hour(Your number) is better than minimum wage, far better than unemployment, and thankfully, will give many people reason to smile and feel good about themselves.
The man is looking to employ more folks here in the state of Maine and have Pittsfield alone grow to two hundred jobs. Stop your whining and clap your hands. Shame on you for such negativity……I’m done with this conversation and your pathetic views on job creation. You probably voted for ‘hope and change’, here’s a man actually showing you what real hope and change is by taking a risk despite the challenges of the business climate in Maine.
JJ. You have failed to appreciate my comments in thier entirety. And you seem a little angry. It saddens me that you are done with our conversation. I was just starting to have fun. It frightens me that you would accuse me of being a supporter of a failed president and his socialist policies.
Check out the BDN article on livable wages. How perfect was that timing?
If it looks like a duck, more important it sounds like a duck…..it’s a good chance….. :-)
Sorry Jcote….your words speak volumes to your core beliefs…..
It’s equally hard to get excited about call center jobs, since Maine is competing with 2nd and 3rd world economies for them.