Call Center Company Looks at Downtown Apple Valley to Relocate HQ in Next Few Months

A customer-support company that recently announced it will move its headquarters to Apple Valley could make its move in the next few months, according to a report from the Pioneer Press.

Last week, Apple Valley Mayor Mary Hamann-Roland announced that the city will soon be home to the headquarters of Stream Global Services, a Boston-area company that provides call center customer support for Fortune 1000 companies, employing 30,000 call-center staff in 22 countries.

The company's new headquarters should start with about 25 employees, company spokesman Joe Thornton told the Star Tribune, and is looking to lease an office in downtown Apple Valley.

Mark Lofthus, the director of business and community development for the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, told the Star Tribune the state and Stream had discussed the move for about nine months.

Stream has some corporate staff in Bloomington now, Thornton told the Pioneer Press, who will move to the Apple Valley location.

Thornton told Iowa's Souix City Journal earlier this month that Stream increased its number of employees in 2011 and expects the same will happen in 2012. Souix City is the location of one Stream call center.

In 2011, Stream increased its revenue by 6 percent to $847 million; the company had a net loss of $24 million for 2011, compared with a $53 million net loss in 2010, according to a Business Wire report.

According to its website, Stream Global Services is "a premium business process outsource (BPO) service provider specializing in customer relationship management including sales, customer care and technical support for Fortune 1000 companies."

Stream Global Services CEO Kathy Marinello, an Apple Valley resident, attended the Apple Valley Chamber of Commerce luncheon where last week's announcement was made.

"It's a great community and we're happy to be here," Marinello told after the speech.

Read more from:

• the Pioneer Press
• the Star Tribune
• the Souix City Journal
• Business Wire