APAC Customer Services set to be sold

GREEN BAY - With more than a thousand employees at its downtown Green Bay call center, APAC Customer Services is set to be sold.

One Equity Partners, a private investment arm of JPMorgan Chase & Company, has agreed to purchase the global outsource services company for about $475 million. The group is expected to merge APAC with NCO Group, Inc., another global provider of outsourcing services.

"APAC has a market-leading reputation for delivering exceptional customer experiences," Tom Kichler said in a press release. Kichler is the Managing Director of One Equity Partners. "We believe this combination will allow both APAC and NCO to enhance the levels of service and support that they currently provide to their valued customers."

One Equity Partners says it has no additional comment regarding the transaction of APAC which makes the future plans unknown for the Green Bay call center.

Earlier this year, APAC renewed its lease for its Adams Street building for an additional six years.

In a statement, APAC's Senior VP and Chief Financial Officer Andrew Szafran says, "It's business as usual for us in Green Bay, this transaction will not impact our operations."

When asked if One Equity would keep its Green Bay call center, APAC officials would not answer.

In 2010, APAC was Green Bay's 17th largest employer, according to the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. Since then, APAC has initiated a 25% expansion of its workforce, and talked about hopes of adding more jobs to downtown Green Bay.

“This is a company that has had good success,” said Jeff Mirkes, the Executive Director of Downtown Green Bay Inc. “We're very pleased that the Green Bay operation has contributed to the company's success.”

The sale of the company is expected to be complete by the end of 2011. APAC's shareholders first must approve the sale.

APAC has 17 centers, with operations in four countries.