“I think it will bring more eateries and businesses downtown too because they’re still kind of limited with what’s here,” Brown said.
First, plans were announced earlier this year for Colorado-based StarTek Inc., a business process outsourcing company, to open a call center and hire about 682 people in downtown Hamilton. Since then, StarTek opened in July in the first phase of renovated space at the former Elder-Beerman building at 150 High Street and now has about 75 workers including trainees, production and management, said Scott Farmer, StarTek's local site manager.
Then last month it was announced that credit card company Barclays Services was considering a Cincinnati-area location for a call center. Most recently on Friday, it was learned that company officials have their eyes on a location in Hamilton. If Hamilton successfully recruits Barclays, approximately 1,500 jobs could be created within three years of the center opening, according to local government records.
“It’ll bring more people downtown,” said Tina Davidson, who is from Hamilton, but now lives in Monroe. “I think it’s low pay, but it’s a job … Not everybody’s got a college education and is going to get the big-paying job.”
Recruiting new businesses to Hamilton is a win-win, said Betsy Davidson of Hamilton.
“They’re filling empty buildings which is nice and they’re creating jobs,” Betsy Davidson said. “They’re trying to revitalize Hamilton so I think it’s perfect timing.”
“I’m not from Hamilton, but I would think more industry is good,” said Laurie Stitz of West Chester Twp. She and Betsy, college roommates at Miami University, met in downtown Hamilton Saturday to walk the path along the Great Miami River.
All8UP Italian Eatery, which first opened in December 2013 at 23 North Third Street in downtown Hamilton, recently expanded its hours to 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays in the wake of the StarTek opening news, said co-owner Tony Brown. The restaurant caters and delivers downtown during lunch hours, but can now deliver anywhere in Hamilton from 4 to 9 p.m., Brown said. The business is currently closed Saturdays and Sundays.
Call All8UP at 513-889-5227 to order or for more information.
“I saw benefits over the last week and a half with the people who are in there coming in to eat and take an hour for lunch,” Tony Brown said. “As a restaurant I’m pretty excited to have that many people working a block away.”
"I actually experienced my best week last week although I don't think it was just StarTek," he said. "We had Alive After Five," an event held the first Thursday of each month.
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