MONROE, LA (Dec. 12) – ACCENT Marketing Services will officially dedicate its new Boost Mobile contact center today in Monroe. The center is ACCENT’s first facility in Louisiana and thirteenth location globally.

Community leaders, company officials and employees, and government officials will attend the grand opening ceremonies this morning, which will include facility tours and a ceremonial ribbon-cutting to mark the official opening of the new building.

“Throughout this project, individuals from ACCENT and Boost Mobile as well as numerous local, regional, and state officials have come together to support Louisiana’s economic rejuvenation,” said Kevin Foley, president and CEO of ACCENT. “We are impressed by this spirit of partnership and look forward to putting our mark on this community as a symbol of excellence and success.”

ACCENT’s new center provides customer service and technical support for Boost Mobile, one of the nation’s fastest growing Pay-As-You-Go wireless service providers. More than 300,000 customer calls will be handled at the new facility by the end of the year. With the addition of the Monroe center, ACCENT now employs more than 900 people across three locations to support Boost Mobile’s more than 4.5 million customers.

“Boost Mobile’s customers are the reason we do what we do. Each customer interaction is critical in demonstrating their importance to us and the value that our products and services bring to their lives,” said Kelly Owens St. Julian, vice president of operations and support, Boost Mobile. “The Monroe contact center will be key, in helping Boost Mobile deliver the best possible customer experience.”

The new center is expected to create more than 550 new jobs in Monroe and generate an annual payroll of $11.4 million when at full capacity. ACCENT will also provide more than 44,000 hours of customer service and computer skills training each year. The company has already hired more than 200 customer service and quality representatives, trainers, and managers. ACCENT expects to increase hiring for additional customer service positions throughout the next several months. Interested applicants can apply online at www.staffmark.com.

The state and local governments contributed $3.28 million to renovate 40,000 square feet of the former State Farm Building, located at I-20 and US-165. As part of the renovation, ACCENT incorporated conference rooms and offices, three 24-seat training rooms, a 32-seat Learning Lab, and a 316-seat production floor. Multiple improvements were also made to the buildings electrical and communications service lines.

“This project is a great example of how partnerships between all levels of economic development can work,” said Michael J. Olivier, secretary, Louisiana Economic Development. “North Louisiana offered the resources and advantages ACCENT needed. The state offered an aggressive suite of incentives. And ACCENT provided the jobs and investment North Louisiana was looking to secure. It’s a win for everyone in the region.”

“Monroe and northeast Louisiana are excited to have the ACCENT Marketing Contact Center and the 550 jobs it will create. ACCENT will provide a tremendous boost to our local economy,” commented Monroe Mayor James Mayo. “It truly took a team effort from local and state officials to land this major business prospect, and the City Council and I look forward to more partnerships that will bring a variety of good paying jobs to our city, parish and region. Today, our future looks even brighter.”

West Monroe Mayor Dave Norris added his enthusiasm for the project: “When I had an opportunity to meet Kevin Foley and other corporate officers several months ago, I was most impressed with the wide range of quality services ACCENT offers to its clients. This company is not a typical call center but, rather, an integrated marketing company with a wide range of sophisticated services. We are fortunate to have an innovative industry leader come to our community.”

About ACCENT
ACCENT is an international provider of integrated marketing solutions. We partner with world-class companies to help them acquire, support, retain, and grow their customers at every stage in the customer lifecycle. Founded in 1993 and majority owned by MDC Partners, Inc., ACCENT employs approximately 3,000 people in 10 U.S. cities, Jamaica, and the Philippines.

About MDC Partners, Inc.
MDC Partners is a leading provider of marketing communications services to clients in North America, Europe and Latin America. Through its partnership of entrepreneurial firms it provides advertising, specialized communications and consulting services to leading brands. MDC Partners’ philosophy emphasizes the utilization of strategy and creativity to drive growth for its clients. MDC Partners is the network where great talent lives. MDC Partners Class A shares are publicly traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol “MDCA” and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “MDZ.A”.

About Boost Mobile
Based in Irvine, California, Boost Mobile, LLC, a division of Sprint Nextel Corporation, (NYSE: S), is a lifestyle-based telecommunications brand focused on offering premium Pay-As-You-Go wireless phones and services to the youth market. Boost is among the fastest growing wireless services in the U.S. and now has more than 4.5 million customers – the majority of which are under the age of 25. Boost-branded wireless phones with its exclusive BoostTM Walkie-Talkie service and Re-Boost® Cards are available nationwide at locations where youth prefer to shop, including national retailers and convenience stores, and merchants that focus on fashion, music, and action sports-related activities. Experience Boost on the web at www.boostmobile.com.

Media Contact:
Kelly M. Hilton
ACCENT
812.206.6215 – office
502.435.7040 – mobile
khilton@accentonline.com

Danielle Alvarez
Boost Mobile
949.789.4734 – office
714.231.0672 – mobile
danielle.alvarez@boostmobile.com

Rod Washington
City of Monroe
318.329.2231 – phone
318.329.2845 – fax
rod.washington@ci.monroe.la.us