Published: Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Issues and Answers opens in Houghton
Open house held Monday

HOUGHTON — As Maida Tipping walked into a room at the new Issues & Answers call center in Houghton Monday morning, the vice president of human resources couldn’t suppress an excited shout.

“It’s got a view,” Tipping said, looking out over west Houghton and the Portage Canal. “I want an office with a view like this.”

Starting this week, many do. The call center celebrated its grand opening Monday morning with speeches from company and local officials and an open house.

The business, located in the Red Ridge Plaza on Sharon Avenue, now employes 82 people. Houghton beat out Gaylord and Menominee for the center.

Peter McGuinness, president of Issues & Answers, said the company was attracted to the potential worker base among Michigan Tech University and Finlandia University, as well as the help provided by local groups, such as KEDA.

Beyond that, he said, the company tends to avoid larger cities, which he said tend to have lower unemployment and higher turnover.

“In smaller communities, like Grundy, Va., like Escanaba, you find the work ethic is much better,” he said. “People come to work when they say they’re going to come to work.”

Work will be split 75/25 between nighttime consumer surveys and business-hour calls of professionals such as pharmacists and professors.

The business is expected to create 120 jobs and $7.5 million in retail sales over the next five years, said Phil Musser, executive director of the Keweenaw Economic Development Alliance.

Musser credited MTEC SmartZone CEO Carlton Crothers with the layout of the space, while Michigan Works helped with screening employees and other tasks.

After the building was selected in April, workers fitted the site within three and a half weeks, quicker than the minimum estimate.

“They just went all out to do it and to make it happen,” Musser said.

Cody Juntikka of Atlantic Mine, a student at Michigan Tech, will be working at the facility on weekday evenings and Sundays. He said he’s excited about the opening.

“It’s good to see the new building and all the corporate people and get a feel for the professionalism of the new company,” he said. “And the food’s great.”