Perhaps some of the more than 7,000 Kansas graduates specializing in corporate and professional services annually are among the more than 1,400 such jobs created in 2021. If so, they will join a workforce of some 60,000 such employees already at work in Kansas, providing a variety of professional services to the state’s aerospace, advanced manufacturing, bioscience, animal health and other key sectors. If this year’s corporate services investment activity is any indication, supply of talent comfortably outweighs demand, making those graduates available to other companies seeking a central U.S. location in which to service their clients wherever they may be.
Two of this year’s corporate and professional services projects went to Overland Park, the second most populous city in Kansas. Charter Communications, a top broadband company and cable operator, will open a new customer retention center in the Kansas City suburb, creating 510 new full-time jobs by the end of 2022. The leading connectivity provider’s expansion will invest nearly $19 million in the facility.
“A diverse and talented workforce in Overland Park and surrounding areas, combined with our strong partnerships with the State of Kansas and the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce, made expansion here an obvious choice,” said Dave Lampman, Group Vice President of Retention at Charter. “We look forward to beginning the hiring process soon, in support of our commitment to deliver outstanding service to our customers while providing excellent career opportunities in the community.”
“What makes Kansas City such an attractive location for TTEC is the thriving technology scene, its cultural diversity and its focus on education.”
— Darryl Prater, senior vice president of global service delivery, TTEC
TTEC Holdings, Inc., a world leader in global digital customer experience technology and services, will create 450 new jobs in Overland Park. The company is initially creating work-from-home positions to ultimately be housed within a new office location being built in Overland Park. These positions will be a hybrid of on-site and remote work. The company works with businesses around the world to assist with customer experiences through digital enhancements, including cloud storage services, improved analytics and machine learning. TTEC will use its AI-enabled learning and performance program to rapidly train candidates with preexisting customer service experience.
A Thriving Technology Scene
“What makes Kansas City such an attractive location for TTEC is the thriving technology scene, its cultural diversity and its focus on education,” said Darryl Prater, senior vice president of global service delivery. “We are thrilled to be opening a new location in Overland Park and are committed to making these jobs as accessible as possible to a diverse talent pool.”
Communications Solutions, LLC (CSLLC) will expand its operations in Emporia, midway between Kansas City and Wichita, creating 250 new jobs. CSLLC is a premier provider of Business-to-Business and Business-to-Consumer Call Center services. The company is purchasing a facility to create a new call center in response to growing customer demand. Emporia’s selection was due in part to an agreement with Evergy, which will provide Communications Solutions with electricity.
Accelerate360, a marketing, sales, logistics, and media conglomerate, will be expanding operations in Kansas with the opening of a 455,000-sq.-ft. facility in Olathe, Kansas. The state-of-the-art facility will create 167 new full-time jobs over the next three years and represents more than $31 million in new capital investment in the state.
The company was originally founded more than 100 years ago and has a proven track record in Direct Store Delivery and Direct to Consumer fulfillment, as well as sourcing, retail program development, marketing, sales, category management, and media solutions. Accelerate360 is the largest magazine wholesaler in North America and owns more than 30 media brands, including US Weekly and Men’s Journal. It’s investing heavily in technology, data analytics, and system enhancements to increase their offerings related to the distribution of consumer packaged goods and eCommerce fulfillment services provided to retailers, brands and consumers.
Novacoast is opening a Security Operations Center in Wichita, where it plans to initially hire 60 employees, primarily security analysts, with plans for continued growth. Based in Santa Barbara, many of Novacoast’s customers are highly regulated global firms, including global banks, healthcare and energy companies. Its subsidiary, Novacoast Federal, provides services to agencies like NASA, U.S. Patent & Trademark, the IRS and the Federal Reserve System, among others. Novacoast currently represents 12 of the 20 largest international financial institutions.
