National Pen to add 80 call center jobs

National Pen Company LLC formally announced on Thursday the expansion of its call center in Shelbyville, which will add 80 jobs at the site.

Billy Fox Sr., vice president of worldwide manufacturing and Tennessee site manager for the company, said some of the jobs are being moved from the company headquarters in San Diego, while others relate to new programs.

The expansion will bring the company's employment in Shelbyville to nearly 600, including both manufacturing and sales positions. Existing warehouse space will be remodeled to accommodate the new sales positions. When the renovations are complete, the total size of the call center will be 30,000 square feet.

"This is a very exciting day for us here at National Pen," said Human Resources Manager Marilyn McKelvey, welcoming a group of VIP guests including Tennessee Commissioner of Economic and Community Development Matt Kisber.

Kisber brought regards from Gov. Phil Bredesen and said the state wants to encourage job creation and retention. He cited National Pen as an example of a manufacturer which has successfully added other aspects to its Tennessee operations -- in this case, business-to-business sales. Kisber said the friendliness of communities like Shelbyville makes them ideal locations for call centers.

Kisber noted that 28 companies have moved their corporate headquarters to Tennessee in recent years, including (although he didn't use the name) Nissan, and playfully hinted that if National Pen should consider following Nissan from California to Tennessee.

"We'll certainly broach that subject with them," laughed McKelvey.

Melissa Sterling, director of Tennessee sales and operations for the company, and long-time employee Linda Williams talked about the progress of the company's sales force through the years. When Williams started with the company in 1974, sales operations were located on West Lane Street. There were six to eight sales representatives, without any real desks, sharing a telephone and working from counters affixed to the wall. Later, on Prince Street, the company had 15-20 sales representatives with desks and filing cabinets.

Today, Fox said the company has more than 1 million business customers and operates from locations worldwide, including Ireland, Canada, Mexico and the Philippines. Shelbyville is the largest of the company's sites, with 450,000 square feet of floor space. National Pen has had a presence in Shelbyville since 1958.

Kisber praised Walt Wood of Shelbyville & Bedford County Chamber of Commerce for his work in local industrial development and congratulated him on his recent election as vice president of Tennessee Industrial Development Council.

In addition to Kisber, Bob Hennigsen, deputy commissioner of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, attended the ceremony.