Jobs filling up at SaviLinx

BY DOUGLAS MCINTIRE
Times Record Staff

BRUNSWICK – Following an announcement in March that the company will be adding 200 more jobs to the 100 already employed at SaviLinx, founder Heather Blease says business keeps coming in and jobs are filling up.

SaviLinx was founded in 2013 with offices in Mississippi as well as its headquarters in Brunswick Landing. It provides customer service and tech support, operating as a call center for various companies as well as state and federal government entities.

“Last summer, one of our perspective clients asked us to run a pilot program to essentially prove our capability and out of four or five contact centers, we came out on top,” Blease said in March, citing that client as the need for 200 additional positions.

Blease said pay for new hires will include a base salary of $12.23 an hour with benefits.

“The nice thing about working on these federal contracts is that we are obligated by law to pay our employees a higher wage rate — well above minimum and I love that,” Blease said, and it doesn’t end there. She said the company promotes from within, so there’s room for growth.

Hiring has been brisk for those positions with a large group of about 100 starting in June, with rolling dates for more hires in July, August and September.

“It’s going well — we’re getting absolutely fantastic candidates that have accepted jobs and we will start with orientation shortly,” Blease said, speaking from the former offices of the Brunswick Naval Air Station’s commanding and executive officers.

SaviLinx’s new client is also pleased with the company’s work.

“They were impressed and this is their third contract with us. I would have to say that we do a really great job operationally and we have fabulous people and that mix bodes very well for us. Our customers are very can you really buy clomid online happy,” Blease said.

Blease said she expects growth to continue, saying SaviLinx will not become a stagnant company. She cited what she deemed manageable growth since the company’s inception. She said looking back over the last three years, she’s seen the company grow to 500 employees between Maine and Mississippi — a number she expects to keep climbing.

“We will continue to add contracts and new contracts mean new jobs for us,” Blease said.

Blease said she’s already starting to outgrow their current facility — which she said is a great problem to have. Blease and her team are beginning to think about a second facility; one that is close by, if possible.

One possibility Blease is thinking about is a work-from-home option. She said not all her clients support that format, but it’s a concept that is working for the SaviLinx facility in Mississippi. There, Blease said 200 employees telecommute, while maintaining a small facility for trainings, meetings and classes.

“We built the procedures and processes and security so we can deliver great service from people who are working from home and then provide support to our employees who are home,” Blease said.

It’s a concept Blease would like to do more of in Maine — possibly spreading their geographic presence to more economically depressed areas of the state.

“If we could do that with work from home, that would be ideal — that would be one of my wishes,” Blease said.

Asked about HUBZones, Blease said SaviLinx qualifies but qualification is rather meaningless until the new maps are updated. The HUBZone designation would provide preferential treatment to companies seeking federal contracts.

“At one point I was frustrated and now I’m just waiting — let us know,” Blease said.

“I guess the good news is we’ve done very well without HUBZone designation. With HUBZone designation, I think we’ll have even more opportunities to respond to but it’s certainly not hampering us right now,” Blease said.

Paying in Brunswick

• SAVILINX FOUNDER Heather Blease said pay for new hires will include a base salary of $12.23 an hour with benefits.