Mayor Bill Haslam, First Tennessee and the Knoxville Area Chamber Partnership today announced the relocation of the company's customer service center to a 60,000 square foot facility on Chapman Highway.

The move will consolidate operations and ensure that 276 customer service employees stay in Knoxville. With the increased office capacity, First Tennessee also plans to add an additional 124 employees.

"I feel great about this announcement," said Mayor Haslam. "Not only did we beat the competition to keep First Tennessee's customer contact center and the jobs here in Knoxville, we also turned a dark box back into a community asset."

First Horizon, First Tennessee's parent company, is headquartered in Memphis and considered moving the facility to other locations in Tennessee and Texas. Mike Feehan, Senior Vice President for Customer Contact with First Horizon National, credited the quality of the company's Knoxville workforce for convincing them to stay in Knoxville.

"I'm thrilled with our decision to keep this facility and these jobs in Knoxville," said Pam Fansler, First Tennessee's Regional President. "East Tennessee is dear to my heart, but this decision was an unemotional one based on sound business principles. And when it came right down to it, Knoxville was the best fit because of our dedicated employees and the area's talented workforce."

"Moving this customer service center to Chapman Highway is a good move for everyone," said Mike Edwards, president and CEO of the Knoxville Area Chamber Partnership. "Not only does it keep the jobs in Knoxville, it brings more spending power to South Knoxville and frees up high demand and high value, class A office space in downtown."

First Tennessee has been operating two separate customer contact facilities in the First Tennessee Plaza and in the Crystal Building in downtown Knoxville. The new consolidated location, in a renovated Wal-Mart building on Chapman Highway, will allow the company to operate more efficiently.

Economic development professionals from the Knoxville Area Chamber Partnership and the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development worked to keep the facility in Knoxville. The Knoxville Utilities Board also assisted by providing economic development incentives including a dual feed electric line to ensure the facility's telephone and information technology equipment is adequately powered.

"We congratulate First Tennessee and First Horizon on its call center relocation and are appreciative that they have chosen to continue to grow their business in Knoxville," said Mintha Roach, President and CEO of KUB. "KUB was pleased to assist one of our area's largest employers with assessing and planning its utility needs at this location."

Renovations on the facility have begun and are expected to be complete by the end of the summer. When complete, the facility will handle financial service calls supporting company operations across the country.