Barclays PLC, a major global financial services provider, has announced that its U.S. credit card group (also known as Juniper) will open an operations center in Colorado Springs. The move will add 450 new jobs to the local economy. To support this expansion, Barclays has signed a lease for 69,000 square feet.

“We demand the best talent to deliver on the promises we make to our customers,” said Richard Vague, CEO of Barclays U.S. credit card operation. “Colorado Springs is an ideal place for us to hire the kind of people who can help us exceed or customers’ expectations.”

In October, Barclays will begin recruiting employees to work in the areas of bank operations, credit, collections, customer care, human resources and technology. The company expects to have 450 staff on board by spring 2006.