High-tech call center to add 500 jobs

TEAM Santa Rosa announced Tuesday that Clearwire Wireless Broadband has decided to keep 500 high-tech jobs at its Santa Rosa Industrial Park and will add up to 500 new jobs.

"Five-hundred jobs is a good thing in any economy, but in this economy it's a home run," said Santa Rosa County Commissioner Lane Lynchard.

Cindy Anderson, executive director of TEAM Santa Rosa Economic Development Council  Inc., said Clearwire's total payroll will be about $30 million when the new positions are filled. Clearwire considered locations in several other states, she added.

"They weren't going to come here just because it's a great place to live," she said, adding that TEAM Santa Rosa worked with the Locklin Technical Institute, Workforce EscaRosa, Gov. Charlie Crist's office, and several state agencies on "Project Snake Eyes" to develop an incentive package to keep Clearwire in the Santa Rosa Industrial Park.