Mr. Speaker,

It is a great pleasure to stand before the House today to update honourable members on the progress of a business that is establishing a new operation in our province.

One of the focuses of my department of Industry, Trade and Technology is investment attraction and we work with companies from around the world to show them the business advantages of operating in Newfoundland and Labrador. We promote our highly skilled and very loyal workforce, our strategic location as a gateway between the rest of North America and Europe and our cost competitive location, among other things.

These and other factors were recognized by an international company that has its North American corporate office in Vancouver. That company is Hospitality Marketing Concepts and I am pleased to inform honourable members that it is opening a customer contact centre in Gander, which will create 200 new full and part time jobs. In addition to these immediate benefits, I am sure that there will also be many economic spinoffs in the Gander area.

The company plans to be operating by January of next year, and will hold its grand opening in Gander at that time.

Hospitality Marketing Concepts operates 14 customer service centres throughout the United States; the one opening in Gander will be the seventh and largest one in Canada. The company was formed in 1988 and is a leading provider of club membership programs for prestigious hotels and other businesses in international and domestic markets.

Mr. Speaker,

This company operates in a fast growing, job intensive industry, and one in which we must compete with many other jurisdictions.

The incentive package we negotiated with the company is competitive with those offered in other areas. The provincial incentives will be in the form of a wage rebate on gross payroll, which will be up to a maximum of $250,000.

The incentives will come into effect only after the jobs have been created and verified and employees have been paid. We have negotiated a fair deal for the province -- one that will benefit Newfoundlanders and Labradorians through job creation and other economic spinoffs.

I would like to conclude by acknowledging the support of several groups and individuals that made this happen. First of all, I would like to recognize the excellent work of NETWORK Newfoundland and Labrador, a public/private partnership between the provincial government and NewTel which has been very successful in the five years it has been working to attract customer contact centres to our province. In addition, many other groups and individuals have played a major role in making this happen, including the economic development department of the Town of Gander, the Human Resources Development Canada office in Gander, Mr. Dave Dyer of Resource Development Associates and of course my own staff.

This announcement signifies a strong partnership of people working together to create opportunities, and to achieve success.

I am sure that this company will be pleased with its decision to locate an operation in Gander. With our friendly and qualified people, our strategic location and many other advantages, we have proven that Newfoundland and Labrador is an excellent place in which to do business.

Thank-you Mr. Speaker

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