Ribbon Cut at StubHub's Expanded East Granby Offices

State and local officials were among the 100 or so people on hand Wednesday for the ribbon-cutting ceremony commemorating StubHub’s renovated offices that officially opened in East Granby.

State Sen. John Kissel (R-7th District), state Rep. Elaine O’Brien (D-61st District), state Rep. Bill Simanski (R-62nd District) and state Sen. Paul Doyle (D-9th District) along with East Granby First Selectman Jim Hayden were in attendance to celebrate the facility’s $2.6 million expansion from 9,000 to 24,000 square feet.

The additional space, which will be used primarily as a call center, also means additional employees; indeed, the San Francisco-based company that provides an online ticket marketplace has hired 30 new employees at the location, mostly in customer service, and will look to add 50 more workers in the next year, according to Theresa Gentile, StubHub's senior manager of customer support.

Gentile said that the new space also includes upgraded technology as well as a state-of-the-art training room and a place for videoconferencing.

"I feel like I'm going to be here for a long time," Gentile said.

StubHub President Chris Tsakalakis said that the performance of the East Granby customer service center, which opened in 2005 with just 12 employees, made the decision whether to expand its offices in Connecticut a simple one.

“You provide the best customer service,” said Tsakalakis, who added that there are 137 employees at the expanded offices in East Granby and that there is room for three times that many.  “It was easy to want more of you. … It was an easy decision to make. Thank you for making it so easy.”

State officials, for their part, are thrilled with the expansion, particularly given the sluggish economy.

“I think it’s fabulous for East Granby and for north central Connecticut that a major employer has made a major investment in this facility,” Kissel said. “Everyone is really excited about this. … One of the best parts is they didn’t need state money for the expansion, and that’s what we should encourage in Connecticut.”

“It’s terrific that this kind of business is in East Granby,” O’Brien added. “Having done business with them, I know they give great customer service.”

“I came here about six months ago when they first started construction,” Simanski said. “I’m overwhelmed by the transformation in such a short period of time. Look at Connecticut, with the unemployment rate and jobs leaving the state, this company made a $2.6 million investment in Connecticut. It’s good news for Connecticut, and it’s also good news for this district.”