Plans for call center on hold

HICKORY, NC  (WBTV) - The plans in which Covation LLC had for opening a massive customer service call center in Hickory have not materialized.

It was supposed to open in April and employ 900 people.  Local officials say they are disappointed, but still hopeful the call center will come.

A 60,000 square foot building is sitting vacant in the McDonald Crossing Business Park, waiting for Covation or another tenant.

Bill Rocker, the CEO of Covation, says the company did run into some stumbling blocks and the recession just magnified the problems.

Still, he expects to have a call center in place in Hickory although he could not tell WBTV exactly when.

"We made promises and we intend to keep those promises," he said.

He did say things should be moving in that direction by the end of this year.

Rocker says the call center would be the most modern facility of its kind and "will be worth the wait."

Covation did win some incentives from the state in the form of grants totaling more than half a million dollars, but none of the money has been paid out.

State officials say incentive money would not be paid out until the call center deal is done and people are working.

With unemployment in Catawba County above 15 percent, city and county officials say the 900 plus jobs Covation would bring are very much needed.