Barclaycard US, the credit card business of Barclays PLC in the United States, plans to open a new customer contact center in Newark, Del. to support its growing payment card operations.
The opening of the new facility, which will be operational in early April 2009, will initially create 300 new jobs and up to 500 new positions over the next five years.
Employees of the state-of-the-art customer contact center, located at 700 Frontage Road in the Iron Hill Corporate Center in Newark, Del., will work in a variety of operational roles including customer care, collections, technology, fraud management and human resources. Barclaycard maintains customer contact centers in Wilmington, Del. and Wilton, Maine that will remain fully operational. Some Barclaycard colleagues who currently operate out of the Wilmington, Del. location will work in the new Newark location.
“We’re thrilled to become a part of the corporate community in Newark, Delaware,” says Lloyd M. Wirshba, chief executive officer, Barclaycard US. “Barclaycard in the U.S. has more than doubled its portfolio since early 2007 and we are now one of the 10 largest bankcard issuers in the nation. The new center will help us to better serve our cardholders and our card partners.”
“It is gratifying to once again see an existing Delaware company reaffirm its loyalty to the state by choosing to expand here,” said Alan Levin, director of the Delaware Economic Development Office. “The addition of 300 jobs further fortifies Delaware’s financial services industry and brings the company’s total impact on our economy to an expected $67.5 million.”
“This is great news for Delaware,” says Tom Carper, senator. “Job retention and job growth — especially during these tough economic times — is welcome news. Barclaycard has been a good corporate citizen and this news of jobs coming to Delaware is a positive message for the community and the state.”
“In Newark, Barclaycard will have access to a skilled work force with experience in the financial services industry,” says Joe Purzycki, chief operating officer, Barclaycard US. “Newark is an ideal fit for Barclaycard because of its proximity to the headquarters of our business in Wilmington and to high quality educational institutions that provide a great source of employment candidates and education programs.”
L.D.