The largest privately-owned marketing company in the UK will bring up to 750 jobs to a depressed region of west Belfast, it was announced yesterday.
LBM will establish some 350 call-centre jobs in Springvale rising to more than 700 by the end of the year. Springvale, adjacent to both the Falls and Shankill areas, is treated as a "Targeting Social Need" area by British government agencies.
Recruitment has already begun with operations due to begin in about two weeks.
LBM Contact employs some 1,500 across the UK and is the sixth largest contact services provider. Established in 1996 and organised into two divisions, the group has Dixons, O2, Alliance & Leicester and nPower among its major clients.
The announcement is the latest in a list of projects supported by Invest Northern Ireland.
Chairman Leslie Morrison said: "This project is a positive demonstration of the company's confidence in the skills and capabilities of the Northern Ireland workforce and the region's ability to attract quality inward investment," he said.
Despite ongoing criticism of the pay and conditions attaching to some call centre jobs, Mr Morrison added that new employees at Springvale would earn "highly competitive salary packages".
Invest NI has offered £6.5 million (€9.47 million) against the creation of up to 750 jobs, with the grant related directly to the firm meeting its job targets.
LBM said yesterday: "We chose Belfast above any other location in the UK and further afield because of the access it will give us to a talented workforce and the availability of quality office space.
"We plan to use our new Belfast operation to support new business development and service our expanding client base," it added.
