T-Mobile invests $30M to relocate customer center to Henrico

T-Mobile US Inc. will invest $30 million to relocate one of its customer experience centers to the former Sam’s Club on Laburnum Avenue in Henrico County, creating up to 500 jobs, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Friday.

“T-Mobile has been a valued employer and partner to the commonwealth for many years and we are proud that the company has chosen to grow its customer experience center in Henrico County,” Northam said in a statement. “T-Mobile’s decision to add 500 employees to its workforce is a testament to the quality of the greater Richmond region’s talent. We thank the company for its commitment to the commonwealth and look forward to its continued success.”

The relocation will retain approximately 800 jobs, bringing the facility’s total employment to approximately 1,300 full-time employees. The Bellevue, Washington-based telecommunications giant offers 4G LTE and 5G network services. T-Mobile employed more than 1,300 Virginians before its merger with Spring Corp., which was finalized earlier this year. The combined company has since added more than 1,000 employees.

“As one of the biggest mobile telecommunication companies in the country with a large Virginia presence, T-Mobile continues to be a great asset to the commonwealth’s economy,” Secretary of Commerce and Trade Brian Ball said in a statement. “The company’s dedication to customer care and to providing quality, well-paid jobs is exemplary, and we appreciate T-Mobile’s continued confidence in Henrico County and Virginia.”

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the Henrico County Economic Development Authority to secure the project for Virginia, and Northam approved a $826,350 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to help Henrico County with the project. T-Mobile can receive state benefits through the Virginia Enterprise Zone Program, administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, as well as the Major Business Facility Job Tax Credit for jobs created.

“T-Mobile loves being a part of the Richmond community and now, as we are taking our ‘un-carrier’ focus on customer service and experience to the next level, we’re thrilled to make this investment to stay here for the long term,” Callie Field, T-Mobile executive vice president of customer care, said in a statement. “Delivering T-Mobile’s Team of Experts, or TEX, model is all about people taking care of people, so we’re always looking to add rock stars to our workforce.”

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