Published in the Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader, by Andrew Seder

December 6, 2013

Sallie Mae will add an additional close to 300 people to its workforce at its loan servicing center in the Hanover Industrial Estates over the next two years.

The announcement was made this afternoon by Sallie Mae CEO John (Jack) F. Remondi, who was joined at the Hanover Township center by Gov. Tom Corbett.

“Pennsylvania is open for business. We are actively working with companies like Sallie Mae to help them create family sustaining jobs throughout Pennsylvania, and I welcome Sallie Mae’s continued investment in our commonwealth and its greatest asset - our people,” Corbett said.

Sallie Mae is investing more than $5 million at its 133,000-square-foot facility in Luzerne County. The investment has already supported the growth of more than 200 jobs this year. The company plans to add about 300 more positions which will result in 1,277 people working at the site by the end of 2015.

Pennsylvania, the governor announced, is aiding the expansion by awarding an incentive package to support the company’s investment, totaling $2.2 million.

“When the leaders of Sallie Mae chose the Wilkes-Barre area for a loan servicing center in 1987, they were attracted to the community and workforce. That remains true today, as we continue to invest and grow in Wilkes-Barre,” said Sallie Mae spokeswoman Nikki Lavoie.

Sallie Mae’s Loan Servicing Center first occupied 21,000 square feet of space at the old Faith Shoe Factory in Wilkes-Barre. At the end of its first year of operations, there were 48 employees at the center who serviced 53,000 accounts. Today, approximately 1,000 employees service millions of student loans, and process payments made to Sallie Mae by its customers throughout the country.

Employees at the site in Hanover Township perform call center, collections, and back-office services for student loan customers. Every month, Lavoie said, the Hanover Township employees process more than 7 million student loan payments, handle more than 800,000 pieces of incoming correspondence, and deposit $1 billion in payments.

“Providing quality customer service to millions of American students and their families takes a talented, dedicated team of employees” said Remondi. “We have found them here in Wilkes-Barre. And we applaud the governor for his efforts to help facilitate our expansion in Northeast Pennsylvania.”

(Andrew Seder, "Sallie Mae to add 300 to Hanover Township center," Times-Leader, 12/6/13)