Central Research opens Tennessee call center

Lowell-based Central Research Inc. (CRI), a provider of management and financial service solutions for government and commercial sectors, announced Monday (July 29) the opening of a 12,000-square-foot call center in Gallatin, Tenn.

The center at 400 N. Belvedere Drive in Gallatin, which is just outside of Nashville, will initially employ about 100 people working on the company’s student loan contract for the U.S. Department of Education. CRI opened the call center to accommodate the continued growth of the federal government contract. The company operates call centers in Lowell and Springdale, and they also provide service for the Department of Education contract.

“We’re excited to open our third call center in Gallatin, Tennessee,” said Scott Dillard, president and CEO of Central Research Inc. “The city’s support and enthusiasm, along with the excellent talent pool, makes it a great location to expand our Department of Education contract operations.”

The center opened Monday with its first class of trainees and is expected to be fully staffed by early November.

“As we continue to diversify our employment opportunities in Gallatin, we are appreciative that CRI has chosen to locate here,” said James Fenton, executive director of the Gallatin Economic Development Agency. “We welcome them as a new business partner in Gallatin and look forward to helping them grow.”

Established in 2002, CRI recently opened a 5,500-square-foot call center at Ozark Center Point Place in Springdale. Along with its headquarters offices in Lowell and the new Gallatin office, it also has a program office in Annandale, Va., near Washington, D.C.