Area Development
Hewlett Packard (HP), one of the largest global information technology companies, will open two new customer service and technical support centers in Arkansas and New Mexico. The company plans to hire more than 1,200 sales, service, and technical support employees at a to-be-constructed $28 million, 150,000-square-foot facility in Conway, Arkansas, that will be built by a local development corporation and leased back to HP. In New Mexico, HP will hire 1,300 people for similar positions at a center in Rio Rancho; company officials are working with the local government and developers to finalize plans for the new facility. Gary Fazzino, HP's vice president for government affairs, cited the quality of the work force, business environment, standard of living, and government cooperation in both locations as key factors for the site decisions. Both facilities are scheduled to open in 2009 with full operations in place by 2012.