Gov. Rick Perry announced the state will invest $1.1 million through the Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF) in Allstate Insurance Co. for the opening of a bilingual customer information center in San Antonio. The company is committed to creating 200 jobs through the TEF investment, but anticipates generating up to 600 jobs and $11 million in capital investment.
“Business leaders continue to look to Texas as the place they want to be, thanks to our combination of low taxes, fair legal system, predictable regulatory environment and quality workforce,” Gov. Perry said. “This Texas Enterprise Fund investment will help Allstate tap into a growing market of bilingual Americans, while providing quality employment and steady income for hundreds of Texas families.”
This facility will help improve customer service by easing call volumes and expanding Allstate’s bi-lingual capabilities. Employees at the facility will be licensed in property and casualty insurance in all 50 states, and most will be fluent in both English and Spanish.
“San Antonio is a terrific community that offers an enthusiastic and energetic population from which Allstate can select the best and brightest to help deliver on our commitment to a superior customer experience,” Allstate Vice President of Direct Sales and Service Mark Pitchford said. “The Texas Enterprise Fund was a critical factor in our decision to locate this facility in San Antonio. Thanks to the commitment of economic development officials in Governor Rick Perry’s office, Bexar County and the City of San Antonio, both Allstate and the community will mutually benefit from this exciting announcement.”
“I applaud Allstate's investment in San Antonio and look forward to the employment opportunity that will be afforded to hundreds of San Antonians,” San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro said. “These are 600 new jobs that any community would be happy to have – and we are certainly thankful.”
“Texas’ economy has remained strong during this downturn and as the rest of the nation looks toward an economic upswing, we are at the forefront,” Judge Nelson Wolff said. “Allstate's decision to expand in Bexar County is another affirmation of this state's strong economic position.”
At Gov. Perry’s request, the legislature created the TEF in 2003 and re-appropriated funding in 2005, 2007 and 2009 to help ensure the growth of Texas businesses and create more jobs throughout the state. TEF projects must be approved by the governor, lieutenant governor and speaker of the House. The fund has since become one of the state’s most competitive tools to recruit and bolster business. To date, the TEF has invested $385 million and closed the deal on projects generating more than 54,600 new jobs and $14.2 billion in capital investment in the state.
For more information about the TEF, please visit: http://www.texaswideopenforbusiness.com/financial-resources/texas-enterprise-fund.html
or
www.governor.state.tx.us.