WATERLOO - Less than a year after a ceremonial ground breaking, Grainger company officials marked the opening of a new Waterloo call center with a ribbon-cutting Tuesday.

The Illinois-based industrial supply company had leased space in Waterloo for a customer service and technical support call center since 1991. The new 41,000-square-foot center marks a commitment from the company, Cedar Valley leaders said at the ceremony.

"This is a Fortune 500 company that's perennially voted a top company to work for," said Waterloo Mayor Tim Hurley. "To say 'yes' to Waterloo with all their other choices says a lot about our economic development and the area."

Parris Devine, vice president of operations and planning for Grainger, said the company's commitment to build the facility was based on the commitment and work ethic of the area's work force.

"This group is so talented," Devine said. "We've had great luck in retaining and keeping talent here."

The 24-hour call center has more than 200 employees, said Waterloo Service Center Manager Tim Cuvelier.

Craig Kozak, Grainger real estate project manager, said the building was constructed with environmentally friendly designs, including sensor-controlled lighting systems, low-flow plumbing and use of recycled and environmentally friendly materials. The design was submitted for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification.

The center handles calls for technical support and questions from Grainger customers. Grainger supplies industrial and technical products for nearly 1.8 million customers around the world.

The parcel of land acquired by Grainger also gives the company room to expand, which Devine said was "clearly an option" for the future.

The building is in Country Club Business Plaza east of Ansborough between San Marnan Drive and U.S. Highway 20, an area city leaders hope develops into a professional plaza. Hurley said the plaza is filling and shows the diversity of area economy and the benefits of long-range planning.

"There are some great neighbors out here," he said. "It all started with that Ansborough interchange" with U.S. 20.