Amid reports of layoffs and plant closings in the Chattanooga area, one company is offering a silver lining. Cincinnati, Ohio-based Convergys Corp. announced Tuesday that it will be hiring more than 200 people to staff positions at its contact center here.

“It’s a hard time and an interesting time for us,” said Tracey Palmer, director of operations for Convergys’ Chattanooga offices in Eastgate Town Center. “I think what makes us different is the fact that we are providing support and services to an array of companies and clients, Fortune 500 companies that might not necessarily be suffering the same types of hardships.”

The new hires will provide customer service for satellite service provider DirecTV, a national retailer and two pharmaceutical companies.

Ms. Palmer said the companies that Convergys serves might see a downturn, but they may not be affected the same way other companies the area.

“As a result of that we are still able to grow and provide support to our clients to help with the support of their products and service,” she said. “I think the third-party aspect of that is what truly makes us different.”

The company’s position as a service provider for other companies sets it apart from other business that are suffering in the contraction, said Dr. Richard Casavant, dean of the College of Business at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

“This is a service company, and it depends somewhat on how the companies they service do,” Dr. Casavant said.

Since companies like DirecTV and other Convergys clients require customer service, the business may not be as affected as other industries because its current customers require ongoing service, he said.

Convergys employs about 1,100 people in Chattanooga, and with the more than 200 new positions plus an additional 100 that could be hired in the coming months, the company’s local employee base may top 1,500 by the end of the year, said Tamara Burks, recruiting manager for the local center.

The company will hold an open house Friday for the positions, which pay above $9 an hour.

“We’re excited about bringing these jobs to our community during a challenging time for our local and national economy,” she said.

Convergys has about 75,000 employees in 85 customer contact centers, data centers and other facilities worldwide. The company offers call-center, billing and employee care outsourcing.

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