Hiring at the new NOVO 1 call center in Holland could start in March

By Sharon Hanks

Holland Community Development Director Joel Dye predicts the initial hiring of 125 workers at the proposed NOVO 1 Outsourced Customer Service Center in Holland could begin in March if all goes well, with an opening in May.

Currently, the one-story building at 1351 Waverly Rd. (M-40) in Allegan County is vacant. Over the next two years, area employment at the Texas-based company is expected to grow to 250 with the possibility of it expanding up to 400 later, he adds. "I think any job is good," Dye says.

Last week, the project moved another step forward when the Allegan County Commission approved NOVO 1's $1 million federal grant application. Funds from the Community Development Block grant are expected to pay for machinery, equipment, job training and working capital at the telephone marketing and answering service.

"It's another step in a multi-step process," Dye says about the approval.

The application now goes before the Michigan Economic Development Corp. which is expected to give its approval later this month. "Once the county and the state sign off on it, then we can start the project," Dye says.

He estimates the hiring process to take between three to four weeks with additional time needed for training, but he did not have further specifics about NOVO 1's hiring program.

Currently, NOVO 1 has five call centers in Wisconsin, Texas and Montana. In 2008, NOVO 1 Outsourced Customer Service Centers ranked among the Top 50 Teleservices providers, according to the industry publication, Customer Inter@ction Solutions Magazine.

Source: Joel Dye, Holland's Community Development Director; NOVO 1, Inc.'s website

Sharon Hanks is the innovations and job news editor at Rapid Growth Media. If you have any tips about job news or innovation, she can be reached at [email protected].