Walgreens Expanding Muscle Shoals Center

With the backing of local community leaders and the Alabama legislature, Walgreens rolled out plans for a $3.5 million expansion of its customer care center in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The plan will add approximately 15,000 square feet of available space within the “Southgate Mall” facility, expanding the care center to 62,000 square feet and improving existing space. In addition, the company estimates the hiring of 350 employees, filling positions of customer care representatives, pharmacists, team leads, quality representatives, and human resources personnel.  

There’s no doubt the “The Shoals” expansion was fueled by the 2012 regulation changes in job creation and recruitment of call centers and other incentives that include a 10-year tax on property, construction and other costs.

 Alabama State Senator Tammy Irons commented, “Prior to the passage of the bill, Alabama's laws were antiquated as related to pharmacy licenses and put the state at a disadvantage in job creation and recruitment of call centers to our state. Other states, such as Florida, were far advanced beyond Alabama and provided proper licenses for customer care centers. This bill now puts Alabama on a more level playing field with other states when it comes to recruiting customer care centers.”

Muscle Shoals customer care center (which handles drug prescriptions) was opened in 2004, for the past eight years has serviced the entire U.S. which is one of the reasons it was chosen over other contenders. Walgreens Customer Care Operations VP, Troy Mills stated, “One of the things we looked at is the work force here, it has really low turnover, we have a great staff that really focuses on quality and quality work that they do.  All of those things matter.”

Forrest Wright, president of the Shoals Economic Development Authority, said “The initial Walgreens investment in 2004 was the result of a great company choosing a great community. This expansion is a result of a great company choosing a great community with a great workforce. The growing cooperation among Shoals leaders in 2000 directly led to this good news announced today.”

This is an example of government at its best, a co-operation between lawmakers, local officials, and development authorities that serves everyone’s interests--kudos to Walgreens and the State of Alabama.

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