Darin Oswald / The Idaho Statesman
http://www.idahostatesman.com/Business/story.asp?ID=56430
The 77,000-square-foot center, which will handle incoming customer calls, will be built at the SilverStone Corporate Center near the intersection of Overland and Eagle roads.
Most customer service representatives, coaches and team managers will be hired locally; hiring will begin in spring for jobs that will pay between $9.50 and $11 per hour.
Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile USA Inc. has about 22,000 employees and 12 million U.S. customers. T-Mobile is a subsidiary of German-owned Deutsche Telekom, one of the world´s top three wireless carriers.
Meridian was chosen because of its strong employment base and high quality of life, plus recruitment efforts from local authorities and developers, said Bryan Zidar, T-Mobile spokesman.
In August, T-Mobile bypassed the Boise-Meridian area as a site for a center that instead is being built in Redmond, Ore.
“The fact that T-Mobile ´came back´ to Meridian for a second look and decided to relocate here, speaks well of the Treasure Valley as a great location,” said Julie Lemna, Meridian Chamber of Commerce president. “Our economic development team, both regionally and locally, worked diligently to help make this happen.”
“This is really something that we have looked at in diversifying what we have in our community and the jobs that are out there and available,” said Meridian Mayor-elect Tammy de Weerd. “It´s truly exciting for our community.”
Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne hailed T-Mobile´s announcement as “great news for the Treasure Valley.”
“T-Mobile is a progressive, futuristic company that pays good wages and offers benefits. That´s the kind of business we want to see expand and relocate throughout all of Idaho,” Kempthorne said.
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If you want a job with T-Mobile
What´s available: The 600-plus T-Mobile positions are for customer service representatives, coaches and team managers to handle calls; 100 to 150 will begin work in summer 2004.
Experience: The company wants trainable people. A customer service background is helpful, but not necessary.
Pay: Average wages will range from $9.50 to $11 per hour.
Benefits: Medical, dental and vision coverage; 401(k) plan; short- and long-term disability; life insurance; vacation, paid time off and sick leave; employee rates on T-Mobile phones.
Extras: On-site workout facility, cyber cafe, television lounge, deli.
Apply now: Go online at http://www.t-mobile.com/company/jobs/.
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With more than 600 employees, the T-Mobile center will rank among the Treasure Valley´s top 30 employers. The largest are Micron Technology and Mountain Home Air Force Base with 9,500 and 5,250 workers, respectively.
The ripple effect on the state economy will likely be felt over the next year, said Idaho Chief Economist Michael Ferguson. But Ferguson cautioned that the overall impact could be mitigated by previous area job losses, such as the 1,000 Treasure Valley workers laid off earlier this year from Micron Technology.
Nevertheless, Ferguson predicted that experts will revise their economic forecasts for Idaho upward in the wake of T-Mobile´s announcement.
“Obviously, it´s the kind of thing that could lead to an economic uptick (for the area),” he said.
Zidar said T-Mobile´s Meridian center will join 14 others throughout the United States.
“We are the fastest-growing cell company in the country right now,” he said. “We want to make sure we have enough representatives to support our customers.”
Meridian has the lowest property tax rates of any Treasure Valley city, which may have helped lure T-Mobile, said current Mayor Bob Corrie.
“Earlier this summer we met with them and gave them a sales pitch on the valley. They evidently thought it was good,” Corrie said.
The company also will be able to tap the state´s Workforce Training Fund, which pays employers creating new jobs up to $2,000 per employee for training expenses, said Shirl Boyce, vice president of economic development for the Boise Metro Economic Development Council.
The Economic Development Council and Meridian chamber were among several local entities and businesses that worked to bring the new T-Mobile facility to the city.
Zidar said the project is a joint effort involving T-Mobile; Holder Properties, which will build the facility; The Staubach Co., a commercial real estate consultant; and The Sundance Co., which owns and operates SilverStone.
Steve A. Vlassek, Sundance director of sales and marketing, said his company hopes T-Mobile´s announcement will spur other large businesses to choose SilverStone.
“This is probably the fourth or fifth large user we have talked to out at SilverStone,” Vlassek said. “This is a huge thing for Meridian, for this whole area.”
Reporter Joe Estrella contributed to this article.