Area Development
Teleperformance, a firm focused on outsourced multi channel customer experience management, dedicated its new Blendon Township, Ohio, Contact Center, which is expected to create 240 jobs in the region by 2018.

"We are all very excited about the new Teleperformance office in Blendon Township. The opportunity to move to a great facility in a wonderful community with such a strong workforce was one we simply could not pass up," said Miranda Collard, Teleperformance president of U.S. operational delivery in a report by Westerville Economic Development.

The firm located within the Blendon-Westerville Joint Economic Development Zone. Among incentives provided for commercial and industrial firms locating in the development zone, Westerville’s 2 percent income tax is dedicated to capital improvements. Unallocated funds are shared between Blendon Township and city. In addition, Franklin County facilitated the zoning process to expand an adjacent parking area, which was considered instrumental the project’s success.

"Working with Westerville and their economic development division helped to connect the dots and bring key players to the table to discuss what Teleperformance needed and what we could provide," said Blendon Township Administrator Bryan Rhoads in a Westerville Economic Development report. "By pooling our resources, we were well positioned to approach Teleperformance and assist them in their efforts to relocate to a space that better suited their needs."

"The state has urged local communities to develop innovative strategies to combine services to support local priorities and initiatives," said Westerville Economic Development Administrator Jason Bechtold. "The Westerville-Blendon JEDZ is a prime example of how local communities can work together to proactively support development to the benefit of our residents and the region."