DATE: Tuesday, July 22, 1997                TAG: 9707220046

SECTION: BUSINESS                PAGE: D1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY MATTHEW DOLAN, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE                        LENGTH:   37 lines

CHUBB INSURANCE OPENS CALL CENTER

The city officially welcomed a new $10 million insurance company call center at a groundbreaking ceremony Monday.

While major corporations are nothing new to a city that hosts Panasonic, Dollar Tree and the YUPO Corp., the 65,000-square-foot Rapid Response Unit service center will be: Its parent, the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, is the first Fortune 500 company to locate an office in Chesapeake.

Chubb officials said they consolidated their service-intensive East Coast call center in Chesapeake because of its central location near major interstates, the city's quality of life and the capability of its labor force.

The center is expected to open in April 1998, company officials said. It will initially employ about 250 people at an average salary of $30,000. Chubb executives said the number of employees could rise to 400 over time.

City and state officials cited Chesapeake's ``business-friendly'' policies, including financial incentives.

``No hitches, right?'' Gov. George Allen said to city officials at the groundbreaking, a laugh in his voice. ``No red tape?'' The audience of business and government officials called back affirmatively.

``This is a vote of confidence. . . a $10 million vote of confidence in Virginia,'' Allen said.

The governor also presented a $300,000 Governor's Opportunity Fund grant to the city of Chesapeake for site development work at the Chubb site off Battlefield Boulevard near Interstate 64.

``It's about the average amount,'' said Jill Lawrence of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. That financial incentive has to be matched dollar for dollar by the city, Lawrence added. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by Nhat Meyer/The Virginian-Pilot

Executives and guests, including Gov. George Allen.

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