Columbia, S.C. - Staples, Inc. (Nasdaq: SPLS) will open a new office facility in Columbia, South Carolina, bringing an initial 250 jobs to the area. Staples is centralizing financial support functions currently located in three separate offices in Massachusetts and Illinois to the new 75,000 square-foot facility, located at 300 Arbor Lake Drive. The company is recruiting for a variety of financial support functions, such as accounts payable, payroll, credit and accounts receivable, to prepare for the scheduled April opening.
“Columbia provides an excellent location to operate our new shared services center,” said Bob Breen, Staples VP, Financial Services. “Staples is a great place to work and we look forward to building our team here with great people from Richland County.”
“Staples decision to locate in South Carolina is another positive sign that our efforts to improve the state’s soil conditions for businesses are paying dividends. With more people working in our state than ever before, we remain committed to continuing those efforts to keep creating jobs and opportunity for South Carolinians,” said Gov. Mark Sanford.
South Carolina’s state workforce training program, CATT (Center for Accelerated Technical Training), nationally recognized by Expansion Magazine, will assist Staples, Inc. in workforce training and recruitment.
“It’s great to see a company with a long standing retail presence in South Carolina recognize the strengths of our economy and choose to establish a corporate office in our state,” said Secretary of Commerce Joe Taylor. “Our state’s many benefits, including access to markets, skilled labor force, world-class training program and outstanding quality of life, make the Palmetto State a great place to live and work.”
Central SC Alliance Chairman George Bullwinkel, Jr. stated, “What a great achievement by our economic development team to attract Staples, Inc. to our region. This new shared services center is a great example of recent efforts to locate companies within this industry sector. We welcome the new jobs as we continue to make significant strides in bringing high quality employment to the citizens of the Central SC Region.”
Richland County Councilman Damon Jeter said, “Richland County Council has a pro-business approach in a competitive economic environment. We value the long standing relationship with the Central SC Alliance and look forward to continued prosperity for the citizens of Richland County and the region. We recognize the importance of teamwork in recruiting world-class companies like Staples, Inc.”
About Staples
Staples, Inc. invented the office superstore concept in 1986 and today is the world's largest office products company. With 69,000 talented associates, the company is committed to making it easy to buy a wide range of office products, including supplies, technology, furniture, and business services. With 2005 sales of $16.1 billion, Staples serves consumers and businesses ranging from home-based businesses to Fortune 500 companies in 22 countries throughout North and South America, Europe and Asia. Headquartered outside of Boston, Staples operates more than 1,800 office superstores and also serves its customers through mail order catalog, e-commerce and contract businesses.
You can find more information at www.staples.com.