Area Development
Wayfair Inc., a global home furnishings online retailer, is opening a new sales and customer service center in Springfield, Oregon.

The 50,000-square-foot facility, located within the new PacificSource business campus, is expected to employ 600 full-time customer service, sales, human resources, and management positions.

"Wayfair could expand anywhere, but their decision to come to Oregon reflects our skilled workforce, competitive business climate, and our collaboration to make the business development process seamless," said Business Oregon Director Chris Harder. "This is a great addition to the mid-valley business community."

Business Oregon and the city of Springfield have been working in partnership with Wayfair, Symantec, PacificSource, Lane County, and the Springfield and Eugene Area Chambers of Commerce over the past year to bring the project to Oregon. The firm will be the newest addition to an existing vibrant customer service-oriented business economy currently calling Springfield home.

"Springfield is pleased to welcome Wayfair to the community, and excited for the career and partnership opportunities it will bring to our community members," said Springfield, Oregon Mayor Christine Lundberg. "It is affirmation of our hard working and value driven workforce when a leader in world-class customer service chooses our community as home."

Wayfair's operation is looking to get off the ground quickly, recruiting for positions right away, and opening in the spring of 2019. Incentives used on the project include a $400,000 forgivable loan through Business Oregon tied to job creation and public benefit conditions such as hiring underserved populations and investing in local internship programs. The company is also using Springfield's Enterprise Zone program to temporarily offset a portion of property taxes specifically attributed to new investments.

"We are excited to expand our operations to Lane County as we grow our customer service team to support the incredible growth of our business," said Tom Svitil, Head of Sales and Service at Wayfair. "At Wayfair, we are committed to creating an outstanding experience for our customers. The opening of our newest location in the state of Oregon will allow us to build upon our award-winning team as we benefit from the strong pool of talent in the region. We look forward to welcoming new members to our team and getting involved in the greater Springfield and Eugene communities."