New Technical Support Center will Create 300 High Tech Jobs

Richmond - Less than six months after participating in the company's grand opening dedication in Hampton, Virginia Governor George Allen today announced that Gateway 2000, the nation's leading global marketer of personal computers, will invest an additional $2 million to locate a new technical support call center at its $18 million Hampton facility. The call center will create 300 technical jobs.

''Gateway 2000's decision to invest again so soon in Virginia further confirms our emergence as the Silicon Dominion,'' said Governor Allen. ''Gateway 2000 is well on its way to becoming Hampton's largest employer. This is an early Christmas present for the people of Hampton and all of Hampton Roads: one that will keep giving year after year.''

Gateway 2000's new technical support call center will enhance the company's excellent customer service reputation. Staff at the center will receive calls from customers and troubleshoot their computer problems via telephone. Gateway 2000 expects to begin hiring technical support professionals in late February, 1997.

''Gateway 2000 is locating its new technical support call center in Hampton because it provides a rich labor pool of the qualified people we need to hire,'' said Rick Snyder, president and COO of Gateway 2000. ''Hampton's East Coast location supports Gateway's priority of serving its customers by expanding its technical support call center capacity.''

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership and the City of Hampton assisted the company with its decision. The Department of Business Assistance will provide workforce training services.

Press Contact(s)

Rick Richardson
Virginia Economic Development Partnership
(804) 371-8259
Jill Vaughan
VEDP
(804) 371-0049