Company moving some jobs to Tahlequah

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- AmeriVision Communications Inc. will move<br>its customer service jobs in mid-February to an expanded call<br>center in Tahlequah because of increasing expenses and a tightening<br>labor

Tuesday, October 26th 1999, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- AmeriVision Communications Inc. will move
its customer service jobs in mid-February to an expanded call
center in Tahlequah because of increasing expenses and a tightening
labor pool in Oklahoma City.

"We've been looking around," said Kerry Smith, chief
technology officer for the long-distance telephone and Internet
service provider. "We gave Oklahoma City a real opportunity, but
it's just becoming such a competitive landscape for these kinds of
resources in Oklahoma City."

Smith said it was also not cost effective to expand in Oklahoma
City. Smith said the company found its answer in rural Tahlequah.
AmeriVision already operates a 75-job call center in Tahlequah. The
call center is taking over a vacant, former Wal-Mart store.

The expansion of the LifeLine Communications Inc. center will
create as many as 300 jobs. Smith said there is a large labor based
to draw from in Tahlequah. A job fair is being planned for
mid-November.

Smith said the move early next year will leave behind 50 to 75
headquarters jobs in Oklahoma City.