An internet company says the New Brunswick government pulled out all the stops to bring 207 jobs to Miramichi.

Hostopia.com is setting up a customer service centre on the grounds of the former Canadian Forces Base Chatham in September, it was announced Monday.

Business New Brunswick is kicking in $1.35 million to train the 207 Miramichi employees to provide IT support for the company's customers, small and medium-sized businesses around the world setting up websites and e-commerce.

Company spokesman Paul Engels said the offer from Business Minister Greg Byrne was sweet enough to lure the company away from other sites considered in the Maritimes, Ontario and India. In the end, Engels said it was the promise of a dedicated workforce that made Hostopia opt for a Miramichi site.

The company will start hiring next Wednesday at a three-day job fair at the Rodd Miramichi River Inn in the Chatham area. Employees will start at a $12-per-hour training wage, with a premium if they speak French. After one month of training, those wages go up.

The announcement comes after news of several permanent or long-term mill closures for the Miramichi area. Two UPM mills in Miramichi will be shut down for nine months to a year, starting in August. A Weyerhaeuser mill in the city has closed permanently. Another UPM mill in Blackville closed in late April 2006.