Photo: Sunsphere in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Photo Credit: Matt Swint / CC
Published May 4, 2021
The Tennessee Conservative Staff –
On Monday, May 3, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee alongside Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe, announced that a financial services company will be opening up a new operation in Tennessee, providing jobs for hundreds of residents. Lending Solutions Inc. will open a call center in Knoxville, creating close to 300 jobs in Knox County.
“We’re grateful that LSI has chosen Tennessee for this project and has committed to create 265 new jobs in Knox County. I congratulate the company on its success and look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on the financial industry,” Governor Lee said when the announcement was made.
“LSI is one of the nation’s industry leaders in financial service outsourcing, and we are proud to welcome the company to Tennessee,” Rolfe said. “These jobs will add momentum to the already robust business services industry in Knoxville, and we are confident that LSI will find success in East Tennessee.”
The company will be using a $2 million investment to open the center and provide jobs to 265 Tennesseans. However, the call center will be used mainly to train new employees before they are able to work from home.
“We are so excited to be coming to Knoxville,” the founder of LSI, Mark Johnson, said. “The opening of this office represents a lot of work by a lot of people, both at LSI and here in Knoxville. This training center represents the future of LSI as a gateway for many Americans in today’s new skill-based economy. Through our ACADEMY employees are paid to learn the skills they need to be the best at what they do in the financial services industry. What we do at LSI is simple, but it is hard. Our secret is that we look for people who believe in themselves – that is who we want to invest in.”
Jeff Stewart, president and CEO of LSI, said, “Our people are the most important asset we have. At LSI, we are passionate about helping people. There are no sidelines. We all contribute to our future success. Everyone at LSI is very excited about our continued growth and adding the community of Knoxville as one of the places where we live and work.”
Lending Services Inc. is not the first recent development that TNECD has brought to Knox County. They have given support to twelve projects over the past five years. This has led to 1,300 jobs and a $175 million investment.
John Bradley, the senior Vice President of Economic Development, said, “TVA and Knoxville Utilities Board congratulate LSI on its decision to locate in Knoxville. Helping to attract and retain quality job opportunities is fundamental to TVA’s mission of service and we are proud to partner with the Knoxville Chamber, City of Knoxville, and Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development to help further that mission and celebrate this announcement.”
Senator Becky Duncan Massey (R) Knoxville states that LSI will fit in well with the Knoxville area’s workforce.
“We have a strong talent pipeline, friendly business climate and exceptional quality of life that is a great fit for this growing company. We are greatly appreciative of their commitment and investment and look forward to their long-range success. I also appreciate all the hard work done by Governor Lee, Commissioner Rolfe and our local leaders in bringing these jobs home.”
Representative Gloria Johnson states that LSI’s mission statement, ““leveraging technology in order to enable conversations,” exemplifies the type of vision that the Knoxville area needs.
LSI operates call centers across the country for over 300 financial institutions, including credit unions, mortgage companies, and banks. They also have 24/7 lending services and consulting programs.
