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Qualfon continues growth in Harlingen
HARLINGEN, TEXAS – In November’s regular meeting, the Harlingen Economic Development Corporation’s Board of Directors announced that Qualfon Data Services, LLC had fulfilled its obligations to HEDC for the award of a $200,000 job creation grant.
Qualfon, a customer service contact center servicing cyber security, roadside assistance, and telecommunications clients with help desk and tech support, along with other services, continues to grow in Harlingen.
They recently extended their lease on a 40,000-square-foot office building for an additional five years and have approximately 450 employees at their site on Haine Drive.
HEDC estimates that Qualfon alone is producing more than $8 million annually into the local economy in wages. The multiplier effect for these 450 jobs is approximately 4 to 1, so that also means that Qualfon is helping maintain or create an additional 1,800 indirect jobs in the area.
Qualfon offers competitive wages and a number of perks such as tuition assistance for those employees seeking to better their lives by continuing their education.
Customer contact centers and back office operators have found Harlingen’s central location in South Texas as ideal for attracting talent and maintaining high-retention rates.
HEDC’s CEO Raudel Garza noted recently that there are more than 1.1 million people residing within a 45-minute drive to Harlingen. Due to this, much of the workforce in Harlingen travels from Brownsville, San Benito, Mercedes, Weslaco and other parts of the Valley.
Harlingen continues to be the location of choice for these back-office operators. Wages in these facilities can vary but usually range from about $9 per-hour up to $20 per-hour.
Qualfon, Dish Network, United Healthcare, Spectrum, and ACCT account for most of the employment in this sector. However, some local financial institutions and medical facilities also have significant back office operations here, with the total number of jobs hovering around 3,000 - more than any other city in the Rio Grande Valley.