Verizon Wireless Opens First Communications Store In South Bend, Indiana, Hires Three Staff Members

SOUTH BEND, IN — Verizon Wireless has opened its first Communications Store in South Bend, at Erskine Commons at 620 West Ireland Rd., bringing to local consumers the coolest wireless phones and newest technology operating on the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network.

The 3,217-square-foot store is one of the first in the nation to showcase a new and highly interactive retail concept that is a departure from Verizon Wireless' traditional retail store design. Customers can pick up and try more than 80 functioning wireless phones and experience on-demand access to more than 2.1 million downloadable songs, Mobile TV, cutting-edge 3D games, short news, weather, sports and entertainment video clips. The store also features accessories such as Bluetooth^® headsets as well as wireless cards and modems for laptops and interactive television screens.

"Residents in the South Bend area now have much easier accessibility to the exceptional products and services that Verizon Wireless customers deserve and expect," said T.J. Fox, region president, Verizon Wireless. "This new retail concept is the blueprint for an entirely new approach to customer service, and it delivers a shopping experience currently not offered by any other wireless provider."

Dan Richard of Mishawaka has been named store manager and will oversee a group of 10 employees, three of whom have been recently hired by the company. These newly hired employees are:

• Jacob Van Dyke of Niles, Mich. — customer service representative
• Tabatha Jorgenson of South Bend — retail sales representative
• Lisa Burke of Granger — retail sales representative

Employees transferring from other Verizon Wireless locations are:

• Kellie Edwards-Smith of Mishawaka — assistant manager
• Nic Bontrager of Warsaw — assistant manager
• Lonnie Powell of Mishawaka — retail sales representative
• Ed Tazelaar of Mishawaka — retail sales representative
• Kathy Carr of Mishawaka — customer service representative
• Brian Kozora of Elkhart — customer service representative

Verizon Wireless' Communications Store at Erskine Commons in South Bend is open Monday though Saturday 9 a.m.—8 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m.—6 p.m. The store's phone number is 574-299-9289.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving 62.1 million customers. The largest U.S. wireless company and largest wireless data provider, based on revenues, Verizon Wireless is headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 67,000 employees nationwide. The company is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). Find more information on the Web at www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

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