CHESHIRE East Council has welcomed news that a Miami-based technology company is investing £50m in its UK business operations with a new call centre in Crewe.

Brightstar, which specialises in device protection, trade-in, accessories, and technical support, will be employing around 700 people in Crewe when it opens a new customer contact centre at Crewe Business Park, adding to its existing operations in the town.

The council's economic development team has worked with the Department for International Trade and the Cheshire and Warrington local enterprise partnership to assist Brightstar to choose its new location in Crewe.

The company previously announced the opening of a new facility on Jack Mills Way for handling mobile devices, accessories and support services.

The company, which operates in 50 countries, opted to expand in Crewe because of its connectivity, including road and rail links and because of the expertise of its local workforce. Crewe is the hub of its UK operations.

Brightstar executive president, Gerry O'Keeffe, said: "Our £50m investment reaffirms our commitment to Crewe and secures our position as the leading provider of device protection and life cycle services.

"This represents a huge boost to Crewe and the North West and demonstrates our commitment to the region and the specialist knowledge our teams have developed within the area."

Cheshire East supported the company by engaging developers and planning officers to offer advice around the practicalities of their expansion plans.

Cllr Nick Mannion, Cheshire East Council Cabinet member for environment and regeneration, said: "This is excellent news for Crewe at a time when the UK economy is taking a huge dip owing to the pandemic.

"We are delighted to see Brightstar invest here for the long term and especially pleased that they opted for Crewe."

Brightstar's new call centre will be based at Gawsworth House and is set to be operational at the start of April.