THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, May 10, 1995 TAG: 9505100489
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
LENGTH: Short : 47 lines
Chesapeake and Hampton Roads, 1. California, 0.
Chesapeake has won the relocation of a computer customer-service center that will employ about 200 people from California, Forward Hampton Roads announced this week.
Canon Computer Systems Inc., a subsidiary of the Japanese electronics giant Canon Inc., will open the $1.5 million center in July. The center will occupy 48,000 square feet in the Armada Hoffler Business Center at 850 Greenbrier Circle.
Canon Computer looked at 151 sites nationwide before opting for Chesapeake, said Peter Bergman, Canon Computer's vice president of marketing.
Canon also operates a major manufacturing subsidiary in Newport News, making copy machines and printers.
The telephone center's staff will answer technical questions for Canon Computer's 2.7 million customers, the majority of whom are located on the East Coast, Bergman said. Canon Computer products include desktop and notebook computers and bubble jet and laser printers, some of which are produced at the Newport News plant.
Canon Computer will transfer a handful of jobs from its old facility in Costa Mesa, Calif., but will hire most of the 200 customer service representatives locally. The jobs will be permanent, full-time positions paying about $20,000 a year.
Applications are being taken by the Virginia Employment Commission. The state is providing some training for the workers through the Department of Economic Development. Chesapeake didn't provide any incentives to attract the center.
Bergman said Canon Computer chose Chesapeake because of the labor pool, the educational institutions and the area's pro-business environment.
The addition of the Canon Computer customer-service center adds to Hampton Roads' growing reputation as a mecca for such back-office operations. The region already hosts similar operations for the insurance firm USAA, the mutual fund company American Funds Group, the credit-card processor Household Credit Corp., television retailer QVC and catalog merchant Lillian Vernon Inc. by CNB