Cingular Wireless

Dramatic Growth

100,000-Square Foot Facility Brings 600 New Jobs to Springfield

 

In the late 1980's only two employees manned the local Cingular Wireless customer center from a tiny building on the City's north side. Just two decades later, the second largest nationwide wireless company opened its Midwest Regional Customer Care Center on the City's west side and now services more than 10,000 customers daily.

After enjoying continued growth and success in the Springfield market, the company's decision to stay and expand in Springfield was an easy one. "It made perfect sense to settle our new customer care center in Springfield. We wanted to capitalize on the many benefits this community has to offer, such as high quality of life, a strong business environment and robust labor market," said Nancy Wells, Director of Customer Services.

After small beginnings, an aggressive growth strategy allowed the local office to expand several times and employ 180 people by the late 1990's. The company celebrated the millennium with the construction of a multi-million dollar, 100,000-square foot facility at the corner of Wabash and I-72, bringing 400 new jobs to the area. The company enjoyed a nearly 20 percent growth rate during 2000-2001. "We already had a proven track record here. There is a good quality work force and a good quality of life in Springfield that is attractive to people," Wells said.

Cingular has several offices in the Springfield area where wireless products are sold and serviced, but the customer care center serves as the designated office focusing on professional customer services. Employees answer questions and concerns regarding phone bills, phone usage, technical problems and a variety of other topics.

Once the decision was announced to expand the service in Springfield, the first thing the company did was contact the City's Office of Planning and Economic Development to see what financial assistance was available. Wells praised the City for its cooperation and willingness to help the company. "We thank the City for sharing our vision throughout the entire process of Cingular's establishment in Springfield. It would not have been possible without the Mayor and the City of Springfield's dedication, from idea to implementation," Wells said. "They were wonderful in helping us identify the grants and very active early on in the process." The customer care center now employs approximately 600 people and serves customers in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin.