Famous departmental store operator Federated Department Stores Inc (FDS) announced that it would consolidate credit-related support facilities acquired in its merger with The May Department Stores Company. These moves will improve operating efficiencies and enhance customer service by coordinating technology and capital investments.
May Company's Earth City credit center in St. Louis will be retained as a fourth operational hub of Federated's Cincinnati-based Financial, Administrative and Credit Services (FACS) Group division.
Earth City will join current FACS facilities in Mason, OH, Clearwater, FL, and Tempe, AZ, in servicing private label and VISA credit card accounts for each of Federated's department store divisions. FACS also performs a variety of non-store services for customers and employees.
In addition, Federated will expand the main FACS facility in Mason, OH, while phasing out former May Company credit operations in Lorain and Parma, OH, and Houston, TX, beginning in spring 2006. Included are the Lorain credit facility and credit billing functions housed at May's Great Lakes Data Center (with a total of approximately 760 positions), a credit remittance center in Parma (approximately 35 positions) and the Houston credit center (approximately 380 positions).
Executives at these facilities will be asked to express their interest in relocating to other FACS operations with open positions. The company reiterated its pledge to May Company associates that there will be no workforce reductions or job eliminations as a result of the merger prior to March 1, 2006.
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