FRANKFORT, Ky. (Nov. 9, 2021) – Another Kentucky-based company is growing in the state, as today Gov. Andy Beshear announced digital customer service company Helpware will add 300 jobs across an existing location in Montgomery County and a new office in Mercer County, with $500,000 in total investment.
“As we continue to prepare for the future in Kentucky, we will rely more than ever on growth-minded, tech-enabled companies, and Helpware’s rapidly growing presence in our state highlights those efforts,” Gov. Beshear said. “This company is making an impact in two Kentucky communities, and I expect we have only seen the start of its growth in our state. Thank you to the leaders at Helpware who are creating hundreds of quality job opportunities for our residents.”
Helpware serves high-growth fintech, health tech, e-commerce, technology and other market-disrupting companies to complete complex tasks and grow their brands.
With the investment, Helpware leaders will create 150 jobs at the company’s new Harrodsburg office, as well as 150 positions in Mt. Sterling, where it opened in 2020 and currently employs 25 people. The new jobs include onsite roles as well as remote positions and pay an average hourly wage of $23.30 before benefits. The increased staff will boost the company’s digital customer service, back-office support, start-up acceleration, content control and AI operations, among other services. Company leaders expect to begin filling the new positions before the end of 2021.
Company leadership anticipate Helpware’s presence in Kentucky will grow in the years ahead, noting the many advantages of locating in the commonwealth and their focus on an employee-first culture. The company aims to continue its growth trajectory in the region and introduce more jobs in the future.
“I am beyond proud to be working and growing in the commonwealth. Our company is focused on leading the evolution of consumer expectations changing the services market as we know it,” said Robert Nash, Helpware’s CEO. “Helpware is on the cutting-edge. We put our people first and set the standard for amazing customer experiences. Our drive is to create the absolute best environment for our people and enable them for success. They are the foundation of our accountable and empowered service offerings. When we empower the people taking care of customers, we transcend from tasks to memorable and brand empowering experiences. The truly amazing people of Kentucky have proven invaluable in making this a reality.”
Founded in 2015, Helpware is a digitally enabled people-as-a-service outsourcer that supports a range of industries, including health tech, gaming, fintech, e-commerce, software, technology and others. The company also provided services to government and charitable organizations to assist with COVID-related programs during the pandemic. Helpware operates U.S. offices in California, Colorado and Virginia, and maintains a global presence with locations in Germany, Mexico, Philippines and Ukraine.
Montgomery County Judge/Executive Wallace (Wally) Johnson said the project shows the community’s ability to support growing businesses.
“Montgomery County has proven to provide a healthy business climate for businesses to grow and expand,” Judge/Executive Johnson said. “We are extremely happy Helpware has chosen to locate in Montgomery County, providing employment opportunities for our citizens.”
Mt. Sterling Mayor Al Botts welcomed the company’s growth.
“In this ever-changing economy, it is so important that we have good and flexible job opportunities for our workforce,” Mayor Botts said. “We welcome and appreciate the investment Helpware is making in our community. We are very excited to see Helpware continue to grow here, and thankful for the great employment opportunities for our citizens.”
Mt. Sterling-Montgomery County Industrial Authority Executive Director Jason Rainey said Helpware’s location and expansion in Mt. Sterling is a significant milestone for the community.
“The investment and commitment to locate their innovative business in Mt. Sterling from Sacramento, California, is a watershed moment for our community,” Rainey said. “Helpware’s executives have an incredible business model providing valuable services as our economy continues to evolve. We know Mt. Sterling is a rural lighthouse in Kentucky and we are glad to see leaders from the West Coast embracing our community. On behalf of Mt. Sterling-Montgomery County Industrial Authority, we are grateful for your investment.”
Mercer County Judge/Executive Milward Dedman said he anticipates a successful partnership with Helpware.
“As county judge/executive, I am extremely proud that Mercer County can attract a leading company like Helpware,” Judge/Executive Dedman said. “I look forward to our community having a long-term relationship with this growing organization.”
Mike Willand, executive director of the Harrodsburg/Mercer County Industrial Development Authority, said the company will be a great fit for the area.
“We are thrilled to welcome Helpware to Harrodsburg! Helpware brings leading tech-enabled business services with a history of delivering superb customer experience to some of the world’s most innovative companies,” Willand said. “We know Helpware will fit in well with our other international industries such as Corning, Essity, Hitachi-Astemo and Toyota Boshoku, by offering high-quality services in demand now more than ever.
This is a real win for Harrodsburg and other rural counties in Kentucky as larger companies are increasingly looking for authentic communities with quality of life, friendly people and growth opportunities to be a part of.”
Helpware’s investment and planned job creation furthers recent economic momentum in the commonwealth, as the state builds back stronger in response to the effects of the pandemic.
This year, the commonwealth has shattered every economic development record in the books for yearly investment totals. Year-to-date, private-sector new-location and expansion announcements include over $10 billion in total planned investment and the creation of 15,200-plus full-time jobs across the coming years. Through September, Kentucky’s average incentivized hourly wage is $24.15 before benefits, a 10% increase over the previous year.
In September, Gov. Beshear, Ford Motor Co. Executive Chair Bill Ford, CEO Jim Farley and Dong-Seob Jee, president of SK Innovation’s battery business, announced the single largest economic development project in the history of the commonwealth, celebrating a transformative $5.8 billion investment that will create 5,000 jobs and places Kentucky at the forefront of the automotive industry’s future.
In July, thanks to strong fiscal management by the Beshear administration, the state budget office reported the commonwealth ended the 2021 fiscal year with a general fund surplus of over $1.1 billion – the highest ever in the commonwealth – and a 10.9% increase in general fund receipts to $12.8 billion.
In May, Moody’s Analytics published a positive economic outlook for Kentucky, noting mass vaccination as the driving force behind a sustained recovery in consumer services. The state’s recovery, Moody’s said, benefited from earlier reopening efforts and increased demand for manufactured goods over services. The report also found Kentucky’s manufacturing industry outperformed the nation’s since the national downturn last year.
Fitch Ratings in May improved the state’s financial outlook to stable, reflecting the commonwealth’s solid economic recovery. The state’s April sales tax receipts set an all-time monthly record at $486.5 million, as did vehicle usage tax receipts at over $64 million.
In March, Site Selection magazine’s annual Governor’s Cup rankings for 2020 positioned Kentucky atop the South Central region, and third nationally, for qualifying projects per capita. The commonwealth also placed seventh overall in total projects, the highest of any state with a population under 5 million. Site Selection also recently placed Kentucky in a tie for fifth in its 2021 Prosperity Cup rankings, positioning the state among the national leaders for business climate.
To learn more about Helpware, visit Helpware.com.
A detailed community profile for Montgomery County can be viewed here. For more info on Mercer County, click here.
Information on Kentucky’s economic development efforts and programs is available at CED.ky.gov. Fans of the Cabinet for Economic Development can also join the discussion at facebook.com/CEDkygov, on Twitter @CEDkygov, Instagram @CEDkygov and LinkedIn.
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