COUNTING DOWN THE TOP 10 STORIES OF 2015
The past 12 months featured a number of major news events that captured the attention of our readers — from thousands of new jobs coming to Butler County to the conviction of a prominent state lawmaker. The Journal-News is counting down the 10 biggest local stories we covered this year. Disagree with our list? Send us yours to: kaldridge@coxohio.com or join the discussion on the Journal-News Facebook page. Here’s our list so far:
10. Former Ohio lawmaker Pete Beck convicted of perjury, securities fraud
9. Hollywood comes to Butler County
8. Bullying incidents bring Fairfield Schools under scrutiny
7. Butler County has its first gay marriage
6. Violent incidents between police and community raises concerns
5. Daniel French convicted of killing Monroe's Barbara Howe
4. John Boehner's roller coaster year
3. Liberty Center opens for business
2. Hamilton welcomes plans for two new call centers
COMING SUNDAY
Our weekly Sunday business column Find a job with Journal-News reviews in this weekend’s upcoming edition the biggest job announcements of 2015. Job seekers should know several of the businesses on the list are still hiring.
When, at the beginning of the year it was announced that a call center would open in downtown Hamilton, what everybody didn’t know at the time was that city officials were working to lure an even bigger call center to bring jobs.
City leaders successfully recruited both companies, the Colorado-based business processes provider StarTek Inc. and the U.S. payments division of international banking company Barclays.
When StarTek announced plans in February to open in the former Elder-Beerman building on High Street, it was the city's single biggest announcement for new job creation in at least a decade, according to Hamilton's economic development department. Plans are for the center to create nearly 700 jobs once it ramps up to full operations.
It was a project to be trumped only by an even bigger announcement for new job creation, the second time in late summer from credit card issuer Barclaycard US, which pledges to create about 1,500 new jobs over several years at a call center opening at Vora Technology Park.
StarTek opened in July with the first group of workers, and as of November, employment at the center had reached about 200 workers and counting, according to site manager Scott Farmer.
Barclaycard has conducted several job fairs for its center due to open early 2016, according to the company.
“Barclaycard is excited to expand our business and build a world-class team in Hamilton. We’ve been working hard against a very aggressive timeline to open our doors for business and we’re currently on target for February,” said spokesman Matthew Fields in an email update to Journal-News this month.
“Our project management, technology and facility management teams continue to press ahead as fast as possible to get us ready. We have met many wonderful and qualified candidates through our job fairs and we’re eager to start hiring as soon as possible,” Fields said.
Both of the call centers fill previously vacant building space.
About the Author