InfoCision plans to add workers in the region

The company hopes to put another call center in eastern or Northeast Ohio.
AKRON (AP) -- The federal do-not-call list has been a boon to a Northeast Ohio telemarketing company that plans to add up to 400 workers in the first quarter next year in call centers in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
InfoCision could add another 100 to 200 workers in a new call center by June, president Carl Albright said. The location has not been chosen, but Albright said he'd prefer eastern or Northeast Ohio if he can find an area with enough jobseekers.
Revenues could be as high as $130 million at the privately held company this year, and $140 million to $160 million next year, Albright said.
"We're seeing a tremendous growth spurt," he said. "I'm being very conservative with those numbers for next year. I think we'll have a better year than that."
The company, based in Bath Township outside Akron, also has call centers in Green, Austintown, Boardman and Mansfield in Ohio, plus Huntington, W.Va., and New Castle, Pa. It has 2,900 employees.
Do-not-call list
The company joined other telemarketers in opposing the federal do-not-call list that went into effect last year. More than 63 million Americans have signed up, and companies face $11,000 fines for each violation.
The American Teleservices Association had predicted massive layoffs in the industry employing about 6 million people, but a year later many companies have adjusted and bounced back.
People still can receive calls from nonprofit groups, politicians and companies they recently have done business with.
Most of InfoCision's customers are exempt from the law: nonprofit charities, Christian fund-raising groups, Republican and conservative political candidates, and volunteer recruitment efforts.
Business for commercial clients has grown by 10 percent this year, Albright said. Companies that used to avoid InfoCision because of its higher fees now are willing to pay the price because they believe the company does a better job of adhering to the law, Albright said.
Moving back
The company also will benefit as corporations that moved call centers to other countries start to move telemarketing back to the United States because customers complain about language barriers, he said.
Starting pay for full-time positions ranges from $8 to $12 hourly, based on location and experience. There are incentives for longevity and performance.
"If you perform above average, you'll make a lot of money," Albright said.