Tampa-based Sykes Enterprises, which provides customer support for corporations, opened a call center in Minot, North Dakota in 1996. Sykes hoped to expand the center this year from 200 employees to 450, but was unable to find takers for the new positions. Instead, Sykes decided to close the center and give its employees the option of relocating to Bismarck, 100 miles away. While most of the United States is gripped by a contracting economy, Minot, with a population of about 37,000, has no such problems. It is the site of the Minot Air Force Base, and its other industries, oil and agriculture, are doing fine. In fact, another call center, one that arranges vacation packages for Delta and Northwest, is also planning more hires. Despite its solid economy, Minot does not attract a lot of job seekers because of its relatively cold climate.