Alliance Data to create hundreds of local jobs

Posted: 9/16/2014 4:02:05 PM

Alliance Data Systems, a private-label credit card financing and processing provider, officially opened the doors to its Coeur d’Alene business center on Monday. Already, Alliance employs 100 people locally and the company is optimistic those numbers will grow to 400 by the end of next year.

Attending the ribbon-cutting, Coeur d’Alene Mayor Steve Widmyer welcomed Alliance corporate leaders and dozens of staff members during a ceremony at their 44,500-square-foot call center at 745 W. Hanley Ave., in northern Coeur d’Alene.

“I know it’s taken a lot of hard work on Alliance Data’s part to get here today,” Widmyer said. “We really look forward to our partnership together.”

The mayor noted that Alliance—which offers good-paying jobs—is a good fit for the community. With benefits and other compensation factored in, the average employee at the Coeur d’Alene center will earn $45,000, company officials said.

Demonstrating its commitment to the community, Alliance announced during the ceremony that it is donating $50,000 to the United Way of Kootenai County to support a Ready for Kindergarten program.

“We did our research and really tried to understand where our dollars could have the greatest impact,” said Alliance Data Retail Services President Melisa Miller. “We saw a huge need in pre-kindergarten children.”

Mark Tucker, executive director of the United Way of Kootenai County, said nearly 70 percent of students entering kindergarten in Idaho are not ready.

He said the donation will allow the United Way of Kootenai County to start a full Ready for Kindergarten program that will serve three communities in the county. More than 150 families will be able to go through the program at no cost.

An industry leader, Alliance Data has been named one of the world’s most admired companies by Fortune. Alliance joins other well-known businesses in that category, including Visa, American Express and MasterCard.



Mayor Steve Widmyer, right, joins Alliance Data corporate officials at the ribbon cutting.