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Kalispell City Council backs call center deal with TeleTech Holdings Inc.
The Kalispell City Council on Monday approved a lease and job-creation agreement with TeleTech Holdings Inc.
The deal should result in a new call center opening in city-owned space in Gateway West Mall.
By William L. Spence
The Daily Inter Lake
TeleTech’s board of directors was scheduled to vote on the agreements on Monday. However, no word on that decision was available Tuesday afternoon.
The 10-year deal calls for TeleTech to create 125 jobs the first year, reach 250 jobs in the second year and maintain 425 jobs every year thereafter.
At least 80 percent of the positions must be full time, with a minimum hourly wage of $8 and a 20 percent benefits package. The company will also make a payment to the city of at least $140,000 per year.
In return, Kalispell will provide a 100-percent rent abatement — essentially trading free rent for job creation.
TeleTech has the right to break the lease in three years if it can’t find enough qualified employees. It also can break the lease in five years for any reason.
Stream International, the previous tenant, will buy out the remainder of its lease for $1.36 million. It also will pay off the balance of a $1 million loan it received from Kalispell.
Together with the TeleTech payments, this will allow the city to meet its debt obligation on the mall space, even if TeleTech exercises its option to break the lease.
The council voted 7-1-1 to approve the agreements, with Bob Hafferman voting against the deal and Jim Atkinson abstaining.
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