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Press Release July 22, 2003 Assurant Group Begins Taking Calls, Processing Claims at New Kingston, Ontario Operations Centre Hiring Plan Calls for Creating 245 New Jobs by End of 2003KINGSTON, Ontario … Assurant Group’s Kingston operations centre accepted its first calls and processed its first claims yesterday as the company began transferring these activities from its Toronto offices to a new $6.4 million facility at 1287 Gardiners Road in Kingston. Assurant said that it has hired about 85 employees since it began the process of staffing the new centre. Current plans call for hiring an additional 160 employees by yearend. Recruiting, testing and hiring continues from the pool of more than 2,300 persons who submitted applications during a company job fair in April. "We have been very impressed by both the quantity and the quality of the labor pool here in Kingston," said Kathy Burke, vice president, Customer Services. "Our current recruiting emphasis is on bilingual candidates who are fluent in both French and English." Assurant Group is a leading provider of specialty risk management programs, including creditor insurance and extended service contracts, for the financial services industry. The Kingston centre will support Assurant’s Canadian operations and the business of some U.S. clients. When complete, the Kingston centre’s staffing will include a 254-seat call center, 80 claims associates and about 60 management and support staff. The 45,000 square-foot building was constructed over the past seven months on a 14.5-acre site on Gardiners Road. Assurant plans a formal grand opening of the facility for early September. Assurant is consolidating Canadian support operations now located at two sites in Toronto. Approximately 40 managers and other employees will transfer to Kingston as part of the move. Ms. Burke, who also serves as centre manager, said Assurant is using a phased-in approach to bring the facility on-line," she said. "Hiring for various functions is being done in groups of 10 to 20 so that we can properly train and prepare each employee to do his or her job and continue to provide the quality service that our clients and their customers expect from Assurant." For information about available positions, applicants can now call the centre directly at 613.634.9984 or 1.800.550.2827. Headquartered in Atlanta and Miami, Assurant is a leading global provider of creditor insurance and related products, included extended service contracts. Its products and services are offered through banks, credit card companies, retailers, auto dealers and other businesses in the United States and Canada. Assurant companies also operate in Argentina, Brazil, Denmark, Ireland, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom. Editor's Note: Assurant Group is now known as Assurant Solutions.Media ContactJim Sykes Reference: 0316 |
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