SALISBURY — A customer service company says it’s looking to hire people in Rowan County.

FCR, an Oregon-based outsourced live agent call center, announced on Monday it will expand into Rowan County to provide work-from-home career opportunities in the customer service sector. A news release stated the company will start by hiring 20 employees and plans on adding more than 400 jobs. 

The company’s website lists entry levels wages for its financial customer service representative position at $23,920 to $26,000 annually plus benefits for full-time employees. Other jobs will later include supervisor, program manager, other leadership positions and other entry-level opportunities.

“We are very excited to further expand FCR’s footprint in the state of North Carolina,” Matthew Achak, president and founder of FCR, said in a news release. “The city of Salisbury and the surrounding area present many unique opportunities for FCR, and we are looking forward to bringing new and exciting work to the region. Salisbury has a large pool of talented and hard-working people we feel are the perfect match for our business. We are confident it will provide us with plenty of good candidates who have the skills we are looking for.”

Salisbury Mayor Karen Alexander said the jobs are “a great opportunity for young moms who have daycare and transportation challenges and for high school and college students as well as veterans looking for entry-level positions.”

To be considered for a position, candidates will need a high-speed internet connection from their home. FCR will provide all necessary computer and telephone equipment.

Founded in 2005, FCR provides a wide range of outsourced contact center, business process and social network solutions to industries that include the high-tech, internet, e-retail, telecom, healthcare, finance, travel, transportation and insurance.

The company stated in a news release its expansion into Rowan County is part of an ongoing effort to bring opportunities and jobs to smaller, more diverse communities. FCR announced similar entries into Michigan, Idaho and Wyoming in 2020 and began offering positions to residents in Rocky Mount last month. FCR has hired more than 450 new employees in those regions.

Rowan Economic Development Commission President Rod Crider said Rowan was an ideal home for the company due to its low housing costs and high internet speeds

“Their decision to locate in our community has the potential to add hundreds of jobs and will be a boost to our economy,” Crider said in a news release. “We look forward to developing a lengthy and mutually-beneficial partnership with FCR in the years ahead.”

Alexander credited Hotwire’s high-speed internet as a reason why FCR expanded to the area.

“FCR’s employees will need access to a high-speed internet connection, one of our community’s key assets available from Hotwire/Fision – operating our own high-speed broadband,” Mayor Alexander said.

 Those interested in learning more about FCR or who wish to apply for a position can do so at the company’s careers website, careers.gofcr.com.