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Global Hyatt Corp. Opens Shared Service Center in Moore, Oklahoma; The 43,000 Office Will Have 150
 Employees to Handle Accounting and Payroll Services for all 217 Full-service
 Hyatt Hotels and in North America
By Debbie Blossom, The OklahomanMcClatchy-Tribune Regional News

Apr. 30, 2008 - A Hyatt Hotels & Resorts Shared Service Center that opened in Moore on Monday is the first of its kind in this country and is expected to hire 100 more full-time employees by the end of this year.

The center, which provides customer accounting and internal payroll services for 217 full-service North American Hyatt hotels and resorts, now has 53 people working at the renovated, 43,000-square-foot building in New City Shopping Center.

The company expects eventually to employ 300 people, with a total annual payroll of more than $6 million, "Probably in two to three years," said Jim Melvin, vice president, Hyatt Shared Service Center.

Hyatt has qualified for financial incentives from the Oklahoma Commerce Department's Quality Jobs Program, which gives companies that hire a certain number of people within a set time period tax rebates.

Hyatt's Shared Service Center is continuing to add to its staff, Melvin said. Some of those jobs include customer service agents, people with large payroll experience, and those with accounting and collection experience. Managerial positions are also available.

'We've done very well'

Hyatt visited the Moore location and a site in Florida after an extensive study by CB Richard Ellis pinpointed supportive locations, Melvin said. Moore made the cut for a number of reasons, including the available space and easy access to Interstate 35.

"The building is phenomenal," Melvin said, and its closeness to I-35 makes it attractive to workers from the entire metro area. An array of eateries within walking distance also made the site inviting.

"There are so many local restaurants right here, compared to Florida," Melvin said. "It's all right here, it's very attractive ... we've done very well."

Melvin praised the combined efforts of the state, the city of Moore, CB Richard Ellis and the Moore Norman Technology Center for helping get the center in Oklahoma. "Oklahoma has a skilled and available work force and the state's incentives and work force development programs were very attractive to our company."

Moore is thrilled to have Hyatt's presence, said Deidre Ebrey, the city's director of economic development.

"We did our part, by fast-tracking permits," Ebrey said.

But the building, which once housed the inbound customer care firm Client Logic, was a perfect fit for Hyatt. "It had the infrastructure."

Governor praises location

A ribbon cutting Monday officially introduced Hyatt to the area.

"As one of the bona fide giants in the hotel industry, Hyatt is a name synonymous with quality and service," Gov. Brad Henry said in a statement.

"It is fitting that Hyatt will be able to draw on Oklahoma's talented and dedicated work force for this service center."

Those interested in working at the Hyatt center may go to www.moorehyattjobs.com for more information and job applications.

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To see more of The Oklahoman, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.newsok.com.

Copyright (c) 2008, The Oklahoman

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