Central Research expands to Springdale, plans additional call center in Tennessee

Lowell-based financial services agency Central Research Inc. (CRI) recently opened a call center at Ozark Center Point Place in Springdale.

The 5,500-square-foot call center at 5320 W. Sunset Ave. Suite 169 opened in November and handles student loan debt collection for the U.S. Department of Education. CRI opened the office after experiencing continued growth with the federal contract.

“I’ve been very pleased with the success of our Springdale operations,” said Scott Dillard, president and CEO of Central Research Inc. “As we continue to experience growth with our Department of Education contract, we’ve been able to successfully handle the workload by expanding our operations in Northwest Arkansas.”

Since it opened about six months ago, the number of employees has nearly doubled, and it employs more than 60 people and is near capacity, said Tara Muck, director of communications.

“We’re always looking for opportunities to expand,” Muck said. “When it comes to our Department of Education contract, as that contract grows, we will also look to grow. For that reason, we will soon be opening a new 12,000-square-foot call center in Gallatin, Tenn., just outside of Nashville. We’re in the final stages of preparing that facility, and once it opens, we’ll employ about 95 within the next few months.”

Nearly 200 people work at the company’s headquarters in Lowell, including its corporate employees. By this fall, the company hopes to add about 50 employees at its call center there, Muck said. The company has about 19,000 square feet of office space in Lowell and would be near capacity with the addition of the 50 employees. The company also has a program office in Annandale, Va., near Washington, D.C.

Established in 2002, CRI provides management and financial services to federal, state and commercial sectors, including records and document management, call center and debt collection and improper payments.