Advance Auto Parts will add a Financial Services Commercial Customer Care Center to its operation and corporate headquarters at Crossroads Mall in Roanoke and will invest $8 million to support this expansion, as well as other growth. The project will create 75 new jobs over the next three years. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones.
Here is the full Advance Auto Parts news release:
ADVANCE AUTO PARTS TO ADD 75 NEW JOBS AND
$8 MILLION IN EXPANSION IN THE CITY OF ROANOKE
ROANOKE, Va., February 2, 2012 – At a press conference this morning, Advance Auto Parts, Inc. (NYSE: AAP), a leading automotive aftermarket retailer of parts, batteries, accessories and maintenance items, state and local officials, and local partners announced Advance will add a Financial Services Commercial Customer Care Center to its operation and corporate headquarters in the City of Roanoke and will invest $8 million to support this expansion, as well as other growth. The Company’s Financial Services Commercial Customer Care Center will manage the entire commercial customer credit experience including commercial customer master data setup, billing, accounts receivable and collections. This decision will result in the addition of 75 jobs in the city, and reaffirms the strong commitment between the Roanoke community and Advance Auto Parts.
“Advance Auto Parts Financial Services is an exciting initiative focused on continuing the promise of Service is our best part,” said Darren Jackson, President and Chief Executive Officer. “This new team will allow us to provide greater flexibility and greatly improved customer service. Our goal is to enhance and personalize the experience of our commercial credit customers across all of our stores.”
As previously announced, The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the City of Roanoke and the Roanoke Regional Partnership to secure the project for Virginia. The company is eligible to receive benefits from the Virginia Enterprise Zone Program, administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. Through its Virginia Jobs Investment Program, the Virginia Department of Business Assistance will provide funding and services to support the company’s recruitment and training activities.
The City of Roanoke’s role specifically in assisting this project includes the following: expansion of the Enterprise Zone boundaries; an expedited permit process; Economic Development Authority job training grants for city residents hired at the facility and grants through the Enterprise Zone “One A” Program.
“The City of Roanoke is honored to be selected as the site of choice for Advance Auto Parts’ newly ‘in-sourced’ Financial Services Commercial Customer Care Center,” said Mayor David Bowers. “The company and Roanoke have a long and prosperous history together, and our future is looking even better with this expansion and the addition of 75 new jobs. The national economy has been at a crossroads for a few years now, but today we’re happy to report that our economy and our ‘Crossroads’ are looking great!”
“Today’s announcement was an exciting opportunity for Advance to publicly share our longstanding commitment to growth and development of our corporate headquarters in Roanoke and across the Commonwealth of Virginia,” said Donna Broome, Senior Vice President of human resources. “In addition to the new Commercial Customer Care team jobs, we currently more than 120 open positions in Roanoke and more than 140 in Virginia for corporate, supply chain, retail and commercial positions. In 2011 alone, we filled 321 positions in Roanoke and 1,615 in Virginia. To date, we have invested more than $10 million in work space improvements and renovations to the Crossroads Office.”
