The Home Depot to establish new customer service operation in Utah, creating 691 jobs; service center will support company's online business

Cindy Allen

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah , October 18, 2011 (Utah Governor's Office) – The Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) announced that The Home Depot Inc. will establish a new national customer service operation in Utah, creating 691 new jobs for Utahns, with 181 of those jobs paying 125 percent of the average Weber County wage.

“The Home Depot is an exciting new addition to Utah’s growing list of Fortune 500 companies. The productivity, dedication and friendliness for which our workforce is known makes Utah an ideal location for any customer service operation,” said Gov. Gary R. Herbert. “The Home Depot’s new operations center is another leap towards our goal of adding tens of thousands of new jobs to our Utah economy.”

“The 691 new jobs will add to the accelerating expansion of Utah's job market and provide support for Governor Herbert's recent challenge to all Utahns to create 100,000 new jobs in the next 1,000 days,” said Spencer Eccles, executive director of GOED. “In fact, with the training the company will provide, which is partially funded by GOED and the Department of Workforce Services, the hiring process will most likely start early next year”

In addition to the 10-year post-performance incentive, 100 Home Depot employees will receive special training thanks to training grants offered jointly by the Ogden-Weber Applied Technology College and the Utah Department of Workforce Services. That instruction, in areas such as new-hire training, effective communication and leadership development, is a service the State of Utah provides relocating and local companies to help them strengthen their business and prepare for growth.

The new customer service center will support The Home Depot’s online business, which is the centerpiece of its interconnected retail strategy, allowing customers to connect and shop when, where and however they want.

The company is expected to invest significantly in tenant improvements, with State-estimated spending of more than $5 million over the length of the incentive.

"We couldn't have been more impressed with The Home Depot team and are thrilled they selected Ogden,” said Mayor Matthew R. Godfrey. “We are confident our workforce will exceed their expectations and help them achieve the success for which they are renowned. It's been a pleasure working with them and we look forward to a very long-term relationship."

The Home Depot is the world’s largest home improvement retailer based on net sales for the fiscal year ended January 30, 2011. The company operates 22 stores in Utah out of 2,200 stores in four countries.

The GOED Board of Directors authorized a 10-year post-performance, single-payer refundable tax credit of up to $521,867 over the life of the project. The State estimates that The Home Depot will pay more than $2.6 million in new state tax revenue, and will pay employees new state wages in excess of $2.5 million.

“Home Depot’s decision to expand in Ogden indicates confidence in Utah’s educated, customer-service driven workforce and business environment,” said Jeff Edwards, president & CEO of Economic Development Corporation of Utah. “EDCUtah is pleased to have been part of the unparalleled public-private partnerships that enable us to keep a competitive edge and continue to attract top notch companies like Home Depot.”
(10.18.11)

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