Heartland builds sales headquarters next to campus

Construction has began next to campus on Heartland Headquarters, one of the country’s largest payment processors and a provider of merchant business solutions. *Photo by Michaela Lawson*

Heartland Payment Systems is setting up shop next door to Oklahoma Christian University, potentially creating more local jobs for college graduates.

According to Edmond Economic Development Authority, Heartland is one of the leading payment processors and leading provider of merchant business solutions. Heartland’s new headquarters building, located on the northwest corner of Oklahoma Christian’s campus, will span more than 22,000 square-feet, 13,000 of which will be occupied by the sales headquarters.

Junior accounting major Kendall Bosse said she hopes the new building brings internships that could potentially lead to permanent jobs.

“I am nervous about finding a job upon graduation,” Bosse said. “I know it is tough to find a job and it becoming a reality for me as I watch my friends go on interviews and not get the job.”

As Heartland approaches their opening date, jobs will open up and positions will need to be filled.

“I would like to stay in Edmond if I can find a decent paying job that has benefits and a comfortable work environment,” Bosse said. “There are many reasons to stay in Edmond, but I do like the community it offers and also, a job is a job.”

Director of Career Services Candace Owens said she hopes to bring in new tools to serve Oklahoma Christian’s campus as best as possible.

Career Services provides students with a large variation of job opportunities that are offered in Oklahoma and across the world. Daily emails are sent to students that are specific to each academic college for best hiring results.

“If the campus and career services are proactive in reaching out the Heartland about job opening, which is an our ultimate goal, there will be internships and full-time opportunities that will hopefully be available to our students,” Owens said.

Since Heartland is opening a sales headquarters — business, accounting and finance majors will likely be the pool of students the company will be looking to hire.

“I am sure that Heartland will focus more on and pull from the college of business to fill positions that they have,” Owens said. “But with their major opening they will need a little bit of everything that OC has to offer.”

Several other large Oklahoma companies, such as Paycom, Niagara Bottling, Coke industries, Devon and Chesapeake, reach out to Owens to hire OC students and grads.

“These companies like to hire our students because they do well in their field,” Owens said. “OC has produced a good group future employees. Most of the time OC grads have more experience in their field of study and our professors have done an excellent job in preparing students.”

Oklahoma Christian professors try to work with students along the way to graduation on issues that come up and train them to perform efficiently in the workforce, which leads to businesses contacting Career Services periodically throughout the year.

“In August a lot of accounting firms and engineering companies will contact me for students needing an internship or just to hire new employees,” Owens said.

Many of these companies come to campus and interact with students as well as conduct onsite interviews. Owens said she has seen an influx of students who come to her office looking for jobs.

“What I have learned in the short time that I have been in this position is that I will have students come by right before Christmas break and of course right before graduation, so after spring break,” Owens said.

Many students, like senior Candace Graves, expressed anxiety about finding a job after graduation.

“I am unsure on what I would like to do after college,” Graves said. “I feel a little nervous about going into the workforce but I feel that I will be ready when the time comes. I’m more nervous because I don’t have a set plan yet.”

Graves said Oklahoma Christian is in a good position for finding good jobs because of the markets surrounding it.

“Oklahoma and Texas are both great options for the business students,” Graves said. “I think that Texas is more developed and therefore can offer a lot of options, but areas like OKC and Tulsa are growing areas that would be a great place to start a career.”

Heartland has not posted any job postings for their new headquarters, but Owens said it would likely be up within the next couple of months.