Results are good in Patrick County, according to an announcement of more jobs Monday.

Results Global Services opened a customer service center Monday with 72 newly hired employees who handle inquiries and enrollments for a health insurance company.

Results intends to have 110 on its payroll by the end of this year, many of them trained this fall as licensed insurance agents, said Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Abingdon, who played a role in recruiting the company to Rich Creek Corporate Park in Stuart.

The company has increased its hiring goals twice after announcing in August that it would locate in Patrick County and hire 65 people. In September it boosted that hiring goal to 125.

And on Monday, Results added 50 more jobs to its hiring target, along with plans to serve a second insurance company through the Patrick County operation.

"This company obviously is happy with Patrick County," said Roanoke banker William Clark, who once served on Patrick County's Economic Development Authority.

Michael Burnette, the assistant county administrator, said the company praised the work ethic it observed in job applicants.

"It's also seeing very good results from insurance tests they're doing" with people who have been through training that the company provided for new hires, he said. "It shows the work force is very trainable and qualified to handle these types of positions."

The first wage level, for about 30 customer service representatives, will start at $8.50 an hour. Licensed agents are paid more than $10 an hour, "greater than the industry norm for call centers," Boucher said. They receive medical and dental insurance benefits after 180 days of employment.

Most of the 50 new jobs announced Monday will pay more than $10 an hour, Burnette said.

Fifty new jobs are really significant for a county with a work force Patrick County's size, Clark said.

"Even though the pay level is what it is, it means a lot to Patrick County because a lot of people are commuting out of the area," Clark said. "Just for them to be able stay at home instead of commute out of the area is important."

Burnette said the county has a work force of 8,000 to 9,000 people, and 3,000 to 4,000 "leave the county every day to go to work."

Much of that commuting occurs because Patrick County and Henry County have lost thousands of local jobs in recent years as textile and furniture companies have closed.

"These are the kinds of jobs we are striving to bring to the county: computer-based and higher paying than the average wage in Patrick County," Burnette said.

"We are trying to bring in jobs that would be appropriate for people who are going out of the county to work, jobs where people can stay in Patrick County not only to live but to work," Burnette said.

Results has opened two similar centers in Southwest Virginia, in Lee County where it employs 50 people, and in Scott County where it employs 100.

Boucher said he helped with both of those centers.

People interested in working at the new call center can call the Martinsville office of the Virginia Employment Commission at (276) 632-3023.