Convergys provides outsourced billing and customer and employee care services to employee- and customer-intensive industries. The 28,000-sf building will be the first-ever call center on land controlled by Native Canadians and Convergys' third call center in Nova Scotia.

"This continues a trend of U.S. companies seeking out more competitive labor markets for customer service work," says Shawn Mobley, SVP and manager of Jone Lang LaSalle's Customer Contact Center Practice Group, which represented Convergys in the transaction.

Mobley tells GlobeSt.com the negotiations with the Millbrook First Nation Band began after a search for existing buildings turned up only one, which was promptly ruled out for sitting on a 100-year flood plain and a 20-year flood channel. Mobley says typically the term and rental rate requirements for a new building in Nova Scotia would have been too steep because of the perceived risk, but the Millbrook First Nation Band was willing to take more risk than a traditional developer. So instead of having to sign a 10-year lease at the estimated market rate of $12 per sf (Canadian), Convergys was able to negotiate a seven-year deal at a rate that is 10% to 20% below market.