Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Call center prospect identified as Nextel

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 23 Dec 2002 09:31:08 -0500

Call center prospect identified as Nextel

By Robert Palmer
Staff Writer
December 21. 2002 12:00AM

Elected officials in Colbert and Lauderdale counties will be deciding in the next two
weeks whether to raise $2 million in incentives to bring a 500-job call center to town.

Officials identified the call center operator as Nextel, a Reston, Va.-based wireless
communication company.

"This is not your typical call center," said Muscle Shoals Mayor David Bradford. "They
will be handling their own customers, working 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

Nextel is interested in the former Wal-Mart building at Southgate Mall in Muscle Shoals.
The building was renovated more than a year ago by Convergys Corp., which planned to open
an in-bound call center there. The plan was canceled because of a weak national economy,
though Convergys still holds the lease on the building.

Nextel wants $2 million to finish renovations on the building, buy computer equipment and
install fiber optics. The company told local officials this week the center would be
operational within three months of an agreement being signed, putting 500 people to work.
Bradford said they have been told 85 percent of the jobs would be full time, paying $8-$12
per hour.

Information on Nextel's Web site states the company earned more than $7 billion in
domestic revenue last year and had 10 million domestic digital customers. Nextel employs
13,000 people in the U.S. and is traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol NXTL.

Muscle Shoals is competing against Shreveport, La., for the call center. The incentive
package could decide where the call center ends up, but local officials want some
guarantees from Nextel before committing taxpayer money.

The cities of Florence, Muscle Shoals, Sheffield and Tuscumbia, along with the Colbert and
Lauderdale commissions, are working together on the incentives. The Shoals Economic
Development Authority is a part of the mix, as well.

Howard Keeton, chairman of the Colbert commission, said if assurances are given that a
minimum

level of employment is maintained the commission probably will support the effort.

"The best thing I see is that's 500 people off unemployment," he said.

The Colbert Commission will meet at 7 p.m. on Dec. 30 in a called meeting to discuss the
proposal.

Colbert Commissioner Rex Burleson said he wants a provision in the agreement requiring
Nextel to repay a portion of the incentive if employment at the center drops below a
minimum level.

Both Bradford and Florence Mayor Dick Jordan said they have polled their council members
and all have agreed to help pay the incentives.

Jordan said he called council President Sam Pendleton to ask for a special meeting next
week, but Pendleton urged him to poll the council because of the urgency of the time line.

Nextel wants an answer from local officials by early January.

Bradford said he informed his council by phone Thursday night after meeting with
company_officials.

He said each councilman agreed to the project.

A funding formula being discussed for the incentive would have Muscle Shoals paying half
at $1 million. Florence, Colbert and Lauderdale would pay $250,000, while Sheffield and
Tuscumbia would pay $125,000 each.

Muscle Shoals also has a grant pending that is contingent on jobs being created. The $2.5
million transportation grant would allow Avalon Avenue, which is next to the mall, to be
expanded to five lanes from Woodward Avenue to Cox Boulevard.

"This is contingent on jobs being created, and we have notified the (Alabama) Department
of Transportation there is interest. That will be a decision for the governor and DOT."

Nextel officials could not be reached for comment Friday evening.

Robert Palmer can be reached at 740-5734 or [email-masked].

http://www.timesdaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Site=FT&Date=20021221&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=212210324&Ref=AR&Profile=101

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