National Customer Service Provider to Employ Hundreds in Indiana

TERRE HAUTE, IN - Virginia-based service plan provider N.E.W. Customer Service Companies, Inc. announced today its plans to locate a new virtual customer support operation here, creating approximately 480 new jobs across west central Indiana by 2011, depending on applicant flow.

The company, which provides service plans, wireless handset replacement insurance and customer support services for the consumer electronic, computer and wireless industries, will begin immediately hiring home-based customer support professionals to provide technical troubleshooting to DIRECTV customers. DIRECTV is the nation's leading satellite TV service with more than 17 million customers.

"More than anything else, job growth depends on building an environment that's favorable for business.  NEW's decision to locate in Terre Haute is evident that the work we have done in the past three and a half years to differentiate ourselves from our competitors in the global pursuit of new jobs is working," said Nathan Feltman, Secretary of Commerce and chief executive officer of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.

NEW links home-based associates to its pipeline of customer service calls through an employee's personal computer connected via broadband internet access and a landline telephone.  The third-party service provider expects the home-based approach will save employees an estimated $1,100 per year in fuel costs due to the elimination of a commute, saving nearly 42,000 gallons of gasoline annually for Indiana.

"NEW's continued growth and success has made it necessary to expand the company's contact center operations," said Ray Zukowski, NEW's senior vice president of customer experience. "Our extensive research indicated that Terre Haute is a good fit for our company due to the well-educated work force and the residents' desire to work in the customer care field. We are ecstatic to be a part of Terre Haute and offer this unique work environment to the community."

Founded in 1983, the privately held company operates eight US-based call centers and employs more than 650 home-based customer care associates across the country that provide service to more than 150 million consumers.  In June, the 25-year-old company inked a deal with Indianapolis-based H.H. Gregg (NYSE:HGG) to launch a product replacement and service protection plan for major appliances, consumer electronics and notebooks computers.

"A fundamental role of information and communication technologies has long been a catalyst for transformation and change," said Mayor Duke Bennett. "Terre Haute continues its efforts to offer a strong technology environment for network readiness. Having a company such as NEW select Terre Haute reflects the quality of this community's technology infrastructure."

Those interested in applying for positions with NEW may attend recruiting events at Ivy Tech Community College-Wabash Valley in Room W100 July 22 from 9 to 10:30 a.m.; noon to 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 to 8 p.m. or on July 23 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.  Virtual job fairs are also available online at www.newhomebasedccr.com. 

The announcement of NEW's decision to site a home-based customer care operation in west central Indiana comes nearly a week after the Hoosier state scored national acclaim from news giant CNBC, who named Indiana "the most improved state for business" in the country.  Since Governor Mitch Daniels created the Indiana Economic Development Corporation in 2005, the state has garnered accolades for its best business environment, low cost of doing business and was named a "best place for business" by Chief Executive magazine earlier this year.

Source: IEDC Press Release

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