An integral part of the success of any business is the infrastructure put in place that allows the business to run effectively and efficiently. Those individuals that provide the back office and shared resource services that help keep the wheels turning.
And over the years the Boise Valley has developed a back office and shared resources workforce that has supported iconic companies such as Morrison Knudsen, Albertsons, OreIda, Boise Cascade, Micron Technology, Hewlett Packard and many more. From customer service and sales to accounting and human resources, this workforce helped these, and many other companies grow in – and beyond – the Boise Valley. Although some of these legacy companies have downsized, been acquired or otherwise relocated, this highly qualified workforce remains in the Boise Valley, and is readily available, and eager to jump into similar support roles.
While some companies have left the Boise Valley, others have taken their place or increased their presence and footprint in the region. Citing the Boise Valley’s low cost of doing business and available workforce, companies such as United Heritage Insurance and Scentsy have established their headquarters in the Boise Valley. Additionally, the Boise Valley serves as home to a number of sales and service call centers for companies such as T-Mobile, Hewlett Packard, Wells Fargo, DIRECTV, Citi, CenturyLink, Alaska Airlines and many more.
Back Office / Shared Services Quick Facts:
- Workforce in excess of 35,000, forecast to grow to over 41,000 by 2018
- More than 20 companies currently operate call centers or back office / shared service centers, or have customer service centers as part of their operations in the Boise Valley
- Low cost of doing business, with wages in the back office / shared services industry are moderately to significantly lower than national averages
Dennis Johnson, President and CEO
United Heritage Financial Group
“One of the types of businesses we have a lot of here are call centers. One of the reasons is that 
companies believe that people around here have no accent. Businesses like that because there’s no objection, no “you’re not from around here” syndrome. Our customer service and claims service is all handled here from Idaho. It’s a real plus for a business like ours.” Read on.>>
United Heritage
Headquartered in Meridian, United Heritage offers life insurance, annuities, and group life and disability income insurance through United Heritage Life Insurance Company in 36 states. Auto, homeowners and fire insurance products are provided through United Heritage Property & Casualty Company in Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Arizona, and Sublimity Insurance Company in Oregon, Idaho, and Utah.
Intermountain Gas Company
Founded in 1955, Intermountain Gas is a natural gas distribution company serving approximately 305,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in 74 communities in southern Idaho. Intermountain is a subsidiary of MDU Resources Group, Inc., a multidimensional natural resources enterprise traded on the New York Stock Exchange.
T-Mobile
T-Mobile USA, Inc. is the U.S. wireless operation of Deutsche Telekom AG. Deutsche Telekom is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the World, with nearly 130 million customers worldwide. In the Boise Valley, T-Mobile operates a call center in Meridian.
HP Shopping.com
HP Shopping.com is the official store for HP's Home and Small Business products. In Boise, HP Shopping.com operates a sales and customer service call center.
ProService - Balsam Brands
One of the most recent additions to the industry in the Boise Valley, ProService is a customer service support center serving multiple clients including online retailer Balsam Brands, an Internet Retailer Top 500 company that "manages a portfolio of ecommerce brands and businesses that sell specialty products in various niche markets." The Meridian center will assist in customer support for their flagship Balsam Hill brand, the leading online retailer of high-end artificial Christmas trees and related home decor products.
Human Resources Association of Treasure Valley
The Human Resources Association of Treasure Valley (HRATV) is a local non-profit organization established in 1954 for Human Resource Management professionals in the Treasure Valley area.
Idaho Department of Labor
The Idaho Department of Labor is a leader in generating quality jobs and maintaining an educated, skilled work force that serves as the foundation of strong communities with vibrant, diversified and expanding economies.
The figures presented below are applicable to the Boise-Nampa MSA (Boise Valley), and are representative of a variety of positions within the back office / shared service industry. For more comprehensive data on the Boise Valley’s technology industry in PDF format, click here.
- Jobs in 2011 totaled 35,011, projected to reach 41,423 by 2018
- The number of job seekers with prior industry experience (unemployment claimants plus employed job seekers) totaled 15,653
- 2011 average hourly wages ranged from $10.09 to $21.57
