L.L. Bean draws Bangor job seekers More than 200apply for posts at new call center

BANGOR – Some came because they had been laid off or because their hours had been scaled back at their current jobs. Others were students or soon-to-be retirees simply looking for part-time work or a little extra income. At least one wanted a more appealing career opportunity.

All of the more than 200 job seekers who showed up Friday at the Bangor Career Center on Oak Street had the same thing in common: They wanted to work for L.L. Bean.

The Freeport-based outdoor retailer and Maine landmark for nearly 100 years will open its fourth year-round call center in Bangor in September. On Friday, the company continued its extensive effort to hire up to 800 seasonal customer service representatives.

“We want to show that Bangor can support employers of L.L. Bean’s quality,” said Stephen Bolduc, a city economic development officer who has been involved in the project. “A lot of people can take advantage and I think that the name recognition goes a long way.”

The recruiting sessions are going well, company spokesman Rich Donaldson said, and L.L. Bean is finding the diversity of the work force in Bangor to be a big asset.

“It’s really what attracted us to the area,” Donaldson said Friday by phone.

Donaldson said training for seasonal employees in Bangor is slated to start Sept. 12 and “we hope to take our first call” Sept. 19. Starting pay is $8.85 per hour and employees also get anywhere from a 25 percent to 40 percent discount on L.L. Bean purchases.

Misty Brown, 29, of Bangor, is working at a Dunkin’ Donuts, but said she heard about the new call center through a friend and thought it might be a good fit for her.

“I’ve been trying to look for something more career-oriented,” Brown said Friday after completing her application. “I’ve always been able to get jobs pretty easily, but this would be a good opportunity.”

Brown applied for the seasonal job. She said she hopes it leads to one of the 100 projected full-time jobs. Donaldson said L.L. Bean probably would not hire for the full-time positions until after the 2005 holiday buying season.

“We’ll wait to get seasonal employees in place and then post for regular full-time employees,” he said. “The way we operate here, positions are posted companywide, so we’ll fill some that way if people are willing to relocate to Bangor.

“Our call center strategy is driven by availability of seasonal employees, so a majority of our business is going to be in the seasonal arena,” Donaldson said.

That didn’t stop Brown and others from trying to get their foot in the door.

David Nevers, 36, of Bangor was recently laid off from Groth & Associates, a financial advising firm in Bangor where he worked for about a year. He said he was “kind of shocked” to be let go, but was at the Career Center on Friday to apply for a seasonal position with L.L. Bean. He said he hopes it could lead to something more.

“I want to stay in the area. We just bought a home here,” Nevers said. He has been applying for jobs for about two months now without much luck. “We definitely need more jobs in this area.”

Gregory Baumgardner, 26, of Bangor also was laid off recently, from Mid-Maine Communications. He said he plans to go back to school, but the call center might provide a good temporary option to make a little money.

Danielle Cyr, 18, drove all the way down from Madawaska to apply for a job. She is starting at the University of Maine in the fall and figured a part-time job as a call center representative might suit her schedule perfectly.

“This seems like a good job and, hopefully, I can work and go to school at the same time,” she said. “I have to work.”

Donaldson said L.L. Bean does the majority of its business from October through January, and “we hope we attract people for whom that schedule fits very well.”

Robert Bailey, 55, of Brewer is a children’s writer by trade but said he needs another job to help with expenses. He has been working for Microdyne’s call center in Orono, but the new call center will be closer to his home.

Al Heald, 61, of Bradley said he is retiring in December from James W. Sewall Co. in Old Town and is trying to line up a seasonal job.

Carol Cress, 56, of Dover-Foxcroft ran a restaurant there for 18 years, but recently sold her business and is looking to relocate to Bangor, at least temporarily. She spends part of the year in Florida.

“L.L. Bean has a great reputation,” she said.

Founded in 1912 and based in Freeport, L.L. Bean is known worldwide for its sporting goods and casual clothing and footwear, among other things.

The new call center will occupy the former Irving Oil Co. building at the corner of Godfrey Boulevard and Maine Avenue, near the entrance to Bangor International Airport.

“We’re just ecstatic that [L.L. Bean] has come to Bangor,” said Bolduc, one of the city’s economic development officers. “It’s a great economic boost for community, but we also hope it might draw other businesses to the area.”