New Calais call center set to employ 200

A Canadian company is opening a call center in the former Wareknitters building in Calais. Acrobat Research, which collects market research data, plans to hire over 200 employees and begin operations there in January.

"Calais fits our business model of operations in rural areas and we believe provides a great location for our site in the states," says Roland Klassen, the company's president.

"We're excited about it. Anytime somebody invests in Calais, we're appreciative," says Jim Porter, assistant city manager for Calais. "They're looking for 75 to 100 full-time workers, and 130 part-time," he adds. "There are 400 to 500 in our Calais labor market. That's how many are actively seeking work."

Porter says Acrobat Research first contacted Eastern Maine Development Corporation and the Sunrise County Economic Council before the city heard from the company two months ago. "They wanted to know if we had space for a call center. We get that all the time, so I wasn't too excited, but we have to take everyone seriously."

One month ago, Porter met with a company representative and learned that Calais was one of several sites considered by the Toronto-based company, which had not yet opened a branch in the United States. "Quite a few of their clients are American, and they want a presence here. And of all the sites, they liked ours best."

Acrobat Research was established in 1994 and advertises itself as a company that does not do telemarketing of any kind. Instead, the firm conducts opinion polling, customer satisfaction surveys, social research and "any information for statistical purposes which our clients use to improve their products and services."

The starting salary for Calais workers will be $8 an hour, and there will be flexible working schedules and benefits.

U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe, in a November 14 news release, praised Acrobat Research. "This is great news for the people of eastern Maine who will greatly benefit from the opening of this new call center. Throughout the past year, our state has been hit hard by the closure of the paper machine at Domtar mill and the prospect of 200 new jobs entering our state is a relief for the hardworking Mainers who depend on good jobs to support their families. I applaud Acrobat Research's decision to base their operations in Calais and praise Eastern Maine Development Corporation for their help in securing economic development opportunities in our state."

The last occupant of the former Wareknitters Building was ICT, which closed in March of 2003 after three years of operation and put 80 people out of work. At that time, there was a rumor that a high turnover rate of employees led to ICT's decision to close its Calais call center. The city manager at that time, Linda Pagels, didn't believe it. "I think it's the nature of the work when people get minimum wage and no benefits," she stated. "People used it to carry them through until they found a better job."