Verizon Opening New Call Center in Alabama; Hopes to Employ 1,300

Verizon Wireless, the wireless leader in customer loyalty and operator of the nation’s most reliable wireless network, today announced it will open its newest call center — a new $44 million state headquarters and call center facility in Huntsville, AL — in 2007.

Ground breaking on the 25-acre site for the state-of-the-art facility at the city’s Thornton Research Park is expected by year’s end, with hiring to begin in summer of 2007. Approximately 1,300 jobs will be housed there, including customer service, business sales and operational support functions. The plans were announced today at a news conference in Huntsville.

“Today’s announcement is further evidence of Verizon Wireless’ leadership in the wireless industry — we are a strong and healthy growth company both in terms of serving customers and job creation,” said Lowell McAdam, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Verizon Wireless. “We have added more customers in the past 18 months than any other wireless carrier, and our employee base has grown 10 percent in the past year, with more than 58,000 employees serving more than 54 million customers in 49 states.”