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Missoula lands DirecTV call center

November 19, 2005 /

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Bear Paw Development Corporation is a private non-profit organization created for the purpose of administering programs to help improve regional economic conditions in Hill, Blaine, Liberty, Chouteau and Phillips Counties and the Fort Belknap and Rocky Boy's Indian Reservations.

DirecTV is on its way to Missoula with 800 $9-an-hour call center jobs.

On Tuesday, company executives will be in town with Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., and state and local officials to sign an agreement that almost didn’t happen.

As with any deal of this magnitude, it could still fall through. The fine points are under legal review by attorneys for DirecTV and Missoula County, said Dick King of the Missoula Area Economic Development Corp.
DirecTV, which is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DTV, hopes new call centers like the one slated for Missoula can help give the company a competitive edge against rival satellite and cable companies, said industry analysts and a company spokesman. On Friday, its stock rose slightly to $13.74 a share.

It seems that Missoula beat out its rival, College Station, Texas, thanks to plenty of phone work by Baucus and Montana Commerce Department director Tony Priete.

The county will construct and own the $12 million building that will house the technical call center, which will be located in a new 38-acre technology tax increment district in the County Development Park near Missoula International Airport.

By ROBERT STRUCKMAN of the Missoulian

Full Story: http://missoulian.com/articles/2005/11/19/news/local/news03.txt