[StBernard] Governor Blanco welcomes ACCENT Marketing Services, 550 jobs to Monroe

[Westley Annis]

Governor Blanco welcomes ACCENT Marketing Services, 550 jobs to Monroe

BATON ROUGE - Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco joined ACCENT Marketing Services officials today in announcing the selection of Monroe, Louisiana, as the site of the company's ninth domestic contact center. The 320-seat facility will open in mid-August, create 550 new jobs and generate an annual payroll of $11.4 million. 

"On behalf of the citizens of Northeast Louisiana, I am pleased to welcome ACCENT to Monroe," said Gov. Blanco. "The annual economic impact of this contact center will be significant for the families and communities of the region. I am committed to working with company leadership to ensure their success." 

Under the proposed plan, ACCENT will lease 58,800 square feet within the former State Farm building located at Interstate 20 and US 165 now owned by the State of Louisiana. The new contact center will provide inbound customer service and technical support for Boost Mobile, one of the nation's fastest growing Pay-As-You-Go wireless service providers. More than 700,000 customer calls per month will be handled on behalf of Boost Mobile at the new facility. 

"Strategically, the Monroe, Louisiana, site is a great fit for both ACCENT and Boost Mobile," said Kevin Foley, ACCENT's president and CEO. "This community has an energy and spirit that is a natural fit for ACCENT's 'Work Hard, Have Fun' culture. We are proud to join the growing economic rejuvenation in Louisiana with the addition of these 550 new jobs. And, we look forward to continuing our strong partnership with Boost while also forging a prosperous partnership with the community of Monroe." 

"Providing Boost Mobile's customers with first-class customer service is very important to our company," said Rich McLafferty, customer experience manager, Boost Mobile. "Partnering again with ACCENT and opening a new contact center will help Boost Mobile continue delivering the best customer experience." 

ACCENT will staff 150 positions in the next several weeks and expects to employ about 375 people by the end of the year. To assist in the hiring process, the company has partnered with Staffmark, one of the nation's leading staffing agencies. Staffmark will host a job fair on behalf of ACCENT on June 6 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites Conference Center located at I-20 and the 1051 US 165 Bypass. Opportunities are available for contact center managers, supervisors, trainers, help desk specialists, and experienced and entry-level customer service representatives. All employees will be required to complete a two-week paid training program that begins in July. Questions in reference to job fairs and position qualifications may be directed to Staffmark via email at Monroe at staffmark.com. 

The decision by ACCENT to select Monroe was made easier by the involvement of several key individuals and their respective organizations including the State of Louisiana, the Ouachita Economic Development Corporation, and the city of Monroe. The labor market, existing facility, and business friendly environment all played major roles in ACCENT's decision to locate to Monroe. 

"Governor Blanco's determination to bring jobs back to northeast Louisiana led to Monroe's selection for ACCENT Marketing Services' newest contact center," said Michael Olivier, Secretary of Louisiana Economic Development. "This global company is the first of multiple tenants in this facility that formerly employed more than 1,200. We sincerely appreciate the cooperation and support of Mayor Jamie Mayo of Monroe and Mayor Dave Norris of West Monroe. Both have had longstanding relationships with Louisiana Economic Development (LED), demonstrating confidence in our ability to attract a new employer to this facility." 

"The city council and I are excited that ACCENT has chosen Monroe as the site of its next contact center," said Jamie Mayo, Mayor, City of Monroe. "The 550 new jobs generated will provide a tremendous boost to our local economy and is the best economic development news this area has had in the past few years. We are thankful for the assistance of Governor Blanco and her administration in securing this economic development prospect and look forward to working with ACCENT to help them become a strong and successful corporate citizen." 

"ACCENT and Monroe are a great match, and I couldn't be more pleased to welcome them to this great community," said Dave Norris, Mayor, City of West Monroe." "Governor Blanco and Secretary Olivier were instrumental in securing this agreement, and I pledge my total support to assist ACCENT in making this a successful and long-term partnership." 

The new site is ACCENT's first location in Louisiana and 13th location globally. With the addition of this center, ACCENT will employ more than 1,300 people across 3 locations to support more than 4 million Boost Mobile customers. The expansion will bring ACCENT's total workforce in all locations to approximately 3,400 employees by the end of the year. 

About ACCENT Marketing Services

ACCENT is an international provider of integrated marketing solutions that partners with world-class companies to market, sell, service, and retain their customers through customer care, loyalty marketing, and customer satisfaction programs. Founded in 1993 and majority owned by MDC Partners, Inc., the fast-growing company employs approximately 3,000 people in nine U.S. cities, Jamaica, and the Philippines. For more information, visit www.accentonline.com <http://keelson.eatel.net/websites/la.gov/action.cfm?md=communication&task=addClick&msg_ID=3912&ID=dLiJeGiOn%22n%3B&redirect=http://www.accentonline.com> . 
About Boost Mobile

Based in Irvine, California, Boost Mobile, LLC, a division of Sprint Nextel Corporation, (NYSE: S), is a lifestyle-based telecommunications brand focused on offering premium Pay-As-You-Go wireless phones and services to the youth market. Boost is among the fastest growing wireless services in the U.S. and how has more than 4 million customers - the majority of which are under the age of 25. Boost-branded wireless phones with its exclusive BoostTM Walkie-Talkie service and Re-Boost® Cards are available nationwide at locations where youth prefer to shop, including national retailers and convenience stores, and merchants that focus on fashion, music, and action sports-related activities. Experience Boost on the web at www.boostmobile.com <http://www.boostmobile.com> . 

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