Insourcing leads to local jobs

RUMFORD -- Insourcing versus outsourcing has been a big issue on the presidential campaign trail. One insourcing decision is leading to some local jobs, which could lead to much more.

Rumford native Erik Richard, chief executive officer of appraisal management company Landmark Network of Los Angeles, CA, is launching a pilot program in the River Valley Technology Center that will assist with Landmark's operations.

He said he will be placing an advertisement in local papers to seek job applications. Richard is looking for people who are computer savvy. They will provide the training. These will be fulltime entry-level positions.

"I want to emphasize that these job are net. I'm not moving jobs, Richard said, noting that his company is growing.

He said the idea is to start with a pilot program "so that we can assess the level of productivity and work out any kinks.”

If successful, he sees the business here employing 20 to 30 people. "Down the road, this would mean multiple shifts and weekends."

The supervisor for this pilot program has already been hired. He said he expects the business to be ready to start up when the lease begins on August 1.

He said he conceived the idea for the pilot program after watching competitors transfer certain functions of their company’s support needs to India.

When evaluating his options, Richard said insourcing was the way to go. "It actually is proving to be less expensive to do this in Rumford than to outsource to India, at least so far."

Richard moved out of the area in 1993 after attending schools in Rumford and Mexico as well as working as a news carrier for the Rumford Falls Times.

He has family living in this area and returned here recently on vacation. “I realized how many people in my own hometown were in need of work. It just made sense to bring support positions here and give these people an opportunity to provide for their families.”

Landmark Network is an appraisal management company that provides clients with a wide range of valuation services. Its Landmark Reverse division focuses exclusively on appraisals involving FHA Home Equity Conversion Mortgages known as reverse mortgages. The company, which was established in 2007, currently employs more than 9,000 valuation professionals nationwide.

"I would like to thank Rumford Town Manager Carlo Puiia, Jim Rinaldo with the River Valley Growth Council and Congressman Mike Michaud for their hard work and support of this project," noted Richard.