By Trisha L. Howard
Nov 3, 2000 (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)—Alton will be home to American Water Works Co.'s new, national customer service call center, the New Jersey-based company announced Thursday.
Alton beat out five other cities for the center, which is expected to employ about 325 people when it opens next spring. Four of the finalists were in Pennsylvania; the other was in Indiana.
Company officials said that Alton provided the best combination of available labor, telecommunications infrastructure and a high quality of life for employees.
Larry Trent, economic development director for the River Bend Growth Association, said he had heard the same comments from American Water Works representatives who visited Alton in September.
"I think the city sold itself," Trent said. "From my conversations with the American Water representatives, they were very impressed with all the people they met. They were impressed even with the beauty of the area. They said it was an easy decision."
The center will replace 19 existing call centers that employ about 430 people. Current employees have been asked to apply for positions at the new call center, said Lori Doyle, vice president of external affairs for American Water Works.
The move is projected to save American Water Works as much as $30 million over the next five years, Doyle said.
The company has narrowed its focus to a few sites in Alton, and officials should make a decision about the center's location by the end of the year. The company plans to lease a building rather than build one.
American Water Works, based in Voorhees, N.J., already has a strong presence in the St. Louis area. It is the parent company of Illinois-American Water Co. and Missouri-American Water Co. (formerly St. Louis County Water Co.). Two of its customer service call centers are in the area, one in Belleville and the other in St. Louis County. The company's quality control and research laboratory is also in Belleville.
American Water Works provides water, wastewater and water resource management services to more than 10 million people in 23 states.
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