Verizon Wireless Launches Midwest Area Telesales Department in Warrendale, Pennsylvania

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WARRENDALE, PA — Verizon Wireless selected the company's Pennsylvania Regional Headquarters in Warrendale, Pennsylvania, as the site for the new Midwest Area Telesales Department. The company is streamlining its telesales operations, consolidating six centers in various Midwest states into one center in Warrendale, which opened for business last month.

James Ellis, who had been director of marketing for Verizon Wireless in Chicago, was named to head the newly formed department, which expects to employ a staff of 175 by early next year.

Ellis said, in response to why the Warrendale site was selected for the Telesales operation, "Verizon Wireless had a successful telesales team in place in western Pennsylvania, and we felt we could build on that. The company has always been able to recruit highly motivated and dedicated employees in this region, and that is a definite benefit when you are expanding as much as our Telesales Department will grow."

Ellis said other key factors in the decision to locate here were the company's established presence with the Pennsylvania Regional Headquarters in Warrendale and an expansive network of Verizon Wireless Communications Stores throughout the area.

"We completed the first phase of our start-up on October 11 when operations from Illinois, northern Indiana and St. Louis migrated to Warrendale," Ellis explained. "Work currently handled by centers in Kansas, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio and the Great Plains states will also move here. We plan to migrate one of each of the former six centers every two weeks until all Telesales operations for our Midwest Area, which encompasses 15 states, are located here. We expect that final phase to be completed by February 2002."

Ellis said telesales differs from telemarketing in that the Warrendale staff will take calls from customers and prospective customers who are responding to advertising or promotional offers. This staff is not responsible for making telemarketing calls.

"About half of the employees are in place, but hiring will continue through December," said Ellis. Individuals interested in these career opportunities should call 1-800-575-HIRE (4473).

Ellis began his telecommunications career in 1980 with Contel Telephone of Indiana. He has held various positions with GTE Wireless and Verizon Wireless in marketing, sales, customer service, distribution and public affairs. He received a B.S. degree in Finance from Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky, and his M.B.A. from the University of Evansville, in Evansville, Indiana.

Ellis, his wife Rebecca and daughter Amy, are relocating from Chicago to Gibsonia, Pennsylvania.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless is the largest wireless communications provider in the U.S. with more than 28.7 million wireless voice and data customers. The coast-to-coast wireless provider was formed by the combination of the U.S. wireless businesses of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD), including Bell Atlantic Mobile, AirTouch Cellular and GTE Wireless. Verizon Wireless has a footprint covering more than 90 percent of the U.S. population, 49 of the top 50 and 97 of the top 100 U.S. markets. The company, headquartered in Bedminster, NJ, is 40,000 employees strong. Reporters and editors can find more information about the company on the Web at http://www.verizonwireless.com.

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