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Wayfair Opens Call Center In Pittsfield

Online furniture giant Wayfair opened a new call center Thursday in a historic mill building in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. 

As part of the Economic Development Incentive Program with the state, Wayfair will receive more than $31 million in tax credits over the next decade.

As part of the deal, the company says it will create 3000 jobs in Boston and 300 in Pittsfield.

The Berkshires has a shortage of trained workers, but CEO Niraj Shah, who grew up in Pittsfield, said when hiring, Wayfair cares more about "cultural traits" than specific job skills.

"One of the things that I think will make Wayfair a great member of the community is that we tend to look for really talented, ambitious, collaborative, friendly people," Shah said.

Shah said the company has hired about 30 people so far. And the promised 300 new hires will be completed next year — one year earlier than Wayfair promised the state. 

Nancy Eve Cohen is a senior reporter focusing on Berkshire County. Earlier in her career she was NPR’s Midwest editor in Washington, D.C., managing editor of the Northeast Environmental Hub and recorded sound for TV networks on global assignments, including the war in Sarajevo and an interview with Fidel Castro.
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