National Australia Bank will open a huge call centre in Tamworth for regional and agriculture business.
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The connect centre will bring with it 24 new positions in rural banking and business, positioned smack bang in the middle of the city's main drag.
Tamworth is one of just four regional locations chosen to host a call centre, alongside Bendigo, Bunbury and Toowoomba.
The call centre will open in August with a team of specialist bankers with local knowledge, Tamworth NAB managing partner Warrick Grieve said.
"Investments in customer connected hubs like this one in Tamworth will mean regional and agribusiness customers can spent more time on the job and less time worrying about other matters," he said.
"Small businesses are the lifeblood of the Australian economy - any time we can save our customers is very worthwhile.
"This new centre has resulted in additional employment opportunities locally, attracting new team members from other locations to Tamworth."
Residents won't be able to do their banking face-to-face at the Tamworth Regional and Agribusiness Connect Centre, but for those with more complex requests, the branch down the road will remain open.
It will be essential for big business like NAB to expand in the city for Tamworth Regional Council to reach its 100,000 population by 2041, mayor Col Murray said.
"I think this is probably the purest form of decentralisation where business and large business choose to decentralise jobs that would normally be held in the major capital cities to places like Tamworth," he said.
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"I think it's a big acknowledgement of the strength of the business community that exists around us as a centre.
"We won't achieve any population growth if we don't achieve job growth, so it's new jobs like these that come to the region that will play a fundamental role in that population plan."
Local construction team Single Builders has won the tender for the job to build the bank's new call centre headquarters.
The news comes as retailer heavyweights Target and Big W have announced closures to dozens of their regional stores.
The connect centre will be located upstairs above Travel Associates and Hair Design Studio on Peel Street and has extended hours from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday, and 9am to 5pm on weekends.
Madeline Link
Madeline Link is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald, with a focus on Lake Macquarie City Council. To keep up with my stories, follow my Twitter @madeline_link, for tips email madeline.link@newcastleherald.com.au.
Madeline Link is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald, with a focus on Lake Macquarie City Council. To keep up with my stories, follow my Twitter @madeline_link, for tips email madeline.link@newcastleherald.com.au.
