HR1212 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1212 LRB094 20270 HSS 58249 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, It is the privilege of this Body to recognize milestone events in the history of businesses in our great State; and

WHEREAS, The Cingular Wireless call center in Rantoul is celebrating its tenth anniversary and is a model for public-private partnership in economic development and job creation; and

WHEREAS, The center is located on what was once the Chanute Air Force Base that was surplused by the government in 1993; the Village of Rantoul has since turned the abandoned 2200-acre complex into an aviation and business/industrial park; the Village has worked diligently to improve the abandoned infrastructure; and

WHEREAS, The Cingular Wireless Rantoul facility became operational as a wireless call center on April 15, 1996, with approximately 30 employees; the center now occupies the entire 92,000 square foot, 2-story building that was acquired by the Village of Rantoul in 1993 when the base was closed; from 1993 until 2002 the building was utilized as a commercial, multi-tenant building of which the Cingular Wireless Rantoul call center was the anchor business; and

WHEREAS, Originally the Cingular Wireless Rantoul call center occupied only the second floor of the multi-tenant building; the second floor consisted of 50,000 square feet and had seating for approximately 225 associates and support staff; in 1998 an additional 25,000 square feet was leased for additional seating of 117 employees; in April, 2002, Cingular Wireless acquired the entire 92,000 square foot building, which contains seating for 550 associates and 70 managers and support staff; and

WHEREAS, The Cingular Wireless Rantoul facility is a state-of-the-art call center employing approximately 550 Illini; the Rantoul center decor has been copied in many company call centers from the bright, colorful wall paints to the open seating and upbeat atmosphere; and

WHEREAS, The Rantoul call center has always enjoyed a reputation as one of the premier employers in the Central Illinois area; being in close proximity to Champaign/Urbana and the University of Illinois, Cingular Wireless is provided with a more than ample potential workforce; currently, Cingular Wireless Rantoul call center associates represent approximately 34 zip codes from about a 50-mile radius; Cingular Wireless's experience with the Central Illinois workforce has been that these are hardworking individuals with a strong work ethic; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the Cingular Wireless Rantoul call center on the occasion of its tenth anniversary; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Cingular Wireless Rantoul call center as an expression of our esteem.