Fitness Center

Sales Rep cubicles

Mailing room

GEICO, which operates a large office building in Stafford, is getting ready to hire almost 800 additional employees.

Operations Center

GEICO adding still more jobs in Stafford County

Date published: 9/21/2006

AUDIO: Hear our interview with Theresa Livelsberger, GEICO's human resources director, about the new jobs coming to the area

FREDTALK: Do you work at Geico? What will this mean for the economy, traffic, the region? Share your reaction!

By RUSTY DENNEN

Long an employment powerhouse in Stafford County, GEICO is going on another hiring binge to keep up with its growing insurance business.

The company announced yesterday that it is adding 790 jobs at its regional office on U.S. 17 from now through 2007.

RELATED: GEICO plans job fairs

"We expect tremendous growth in 2007 and we are looking for well-qualified associates who want to grow with GEICO," Nancy Pierce, the regional vice president, said yesterday.

The nation's fourth-largest insurer is looking to add people in practically every department, said Theresa Livelsberger, human resources director.

"You don't have to be a licensed agent--we'll put you through training. Our training is very extensive," Livelsberger said.

GEICO's Stafford site also includes the companywide printing operations, which produces materials and mails them nationwide and openings are available there as well.

Starting salaries range from about $29,000 to $39,000, depending upon the position.

"We feel we have a great candidate pool in this location, and we've had a good experience with the people we hire here. Many of them have moved on and up in the company," she said. No new construction is planned; there's space in the existing building.

GEICO, famous for its ads about cutting out the middleman, sells direct to customers--at any hour--on the telephone and online with about a dozen regional offices and service centers around the country.

The focus of the hiring here is for a company division unique to Stafford known as MOAT (Motorcycle Overseas Agency Team) which encompasses property insurance operations. But sales and service, as well as its auto sales, service and claims positions are available.

With 3,200 employees, GEICO's Stafford office is one of the region's largest private employers.

Shannon Boyle, a spokeswoman for the company in Maryland, said GEICO is ramping up hiring in three locations: "In Tucson, we're adding about 500 to 600, in Macon [Ga.], about 200," she said. Tucson is a service center, Macon, a regional office.

Date published: 9/21/2006