VXI call center begins training next week at 20 Federal Place

YOUNGSTOWN — A new call center downtown will begin training its first 84 employees next week as it moves toward bringing on 1,000 workers in two or three years.

VXI Global Solutions has been remodeling about 31,000 square feet in 20 Federal Place, the former Phar-Mor Centre, for the past month. The center is expected to begin taking phone calls in mid-October, said Nick Covelli, senior vice president of sales and marketing for the Los Angeles-based company.

VXI last month announced that it spent $4 million to renovate offices which used to house a call center for Akron-based InfoCision Management Corp. InfoCision closed the center and relocated work from Youngstown to its centers in Boardman and Austintown.

The city of Youngstown is contributing $600,000 to the renovation costs from federal stimulus funds. It plans to recoup that money from rent from VXI.

For the complete story, see Saturday's Vindicator and Vindy.com.