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News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 1, 2007

Media contacts:
Kelly Hilton - ACCENT - 812-206-6215
Kevin Foley - ACCENT - 812-206-6265
Danielle Alvarez - Boost Mobile - 949.789.4734
Amanda Bryant - Garland Co. Economic Dev. Corp. - 501.321.1700

ACCENT MARKETING SERVICES OPENS BOOST MOBILE CONTACT CENTER IN HOT SPRINGS; CENTER STAFFED WITH MORE THAN 325 EMPLOYEES

Mayor Mike Bush to declare March 1 ACCENT Day in Hot Springs

HOT SPRINGS, AR (Mar. 1) – ACCENT Marketing Services will officially dedicate its new Boost Mobile contact center today in Hot Springs. The center is ACCENT’s first facility in Arkansas and twelfth 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. Mayor Mike Bush is also expected to proclaim March 1 as ACCENT Day in Hot Springs.

“This project has been a true partnership between ACCENT, Boost Mobile, the Arkansas Department of Economic Development, the City of Hot Springs, and the Garland County Economic Development Corporation,” said Kevin Foley, president of ACCENT. “We 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 212,000 customer calls are handled at the new facility each month. With the addition of the Hot Springs center, ACCENT now employs more than 750 people across two locations to support Boost Mobile’s more than 4 million customers.

“Boost Mobile’s customers are the reason we do what we do and we need to demonstrate to them each day the value of our products and services through each customer interaction,” said Rich McLafferty, customer experience manager, Boost Mobile. “The opening of the Hot Springs contact center will help Boost Mobile continue delivering the best customer experience.”

The new center is expected to create more than 450 new jobs in Hot Springs when at full capacity. ACCENT expects to increase hiring for additional customer service positions throughout the next several months. Interested applicants can apply online at www.staffmark.com, email resumes to accent@staffmark.com, or call Staffmark at (501) 525-4443.

ACCENT has already hired more than 325 customer service and quality representatives, trainers, and managers. Many of those employees were recruited by Staffmark and trained at National Park Community College. ACCENT will present Community Partnership Awards to both organizations during today’s dedication ceremony.

The 39,656 square-foot center, located in the Mowery Wyatt Plaza on Albert Pike Road, is the former site of the Hobby Lobby retail store. ACCENT invested significant capital and human resources to completely renovate the facility, incorporating conference and training rooms, a 30-seat training bay, and a 320 seat production floor. Multiple improvements were also made to the building’s electrical and communications service lines. The high-tech facility now houses one of the most extensive network and telephony systems in Hot Springs.

“ACCENT has transformed a vacant building into this beautiful, world-class facility,” said Mike Bush, Mayor, City of Hot Springs. “The company also brings more economic rejuvenation to Hot Springs by providing 450 jobs and more than 36,000 hours of customer service and computer skills training. These are invaluable skills that our citizens can use throughout their careers.”

ACCENT also partnered with students at the Mountain Pine School’s Visual Arts Department. More than 70 students designed and created a series of murals and three-dimensional artwork that reflect the diverse culture and lifestyles of Boost Mobile’s customers. Children ranged in age from 10 to 12 years. “We wanted to create an environment that embraced the interests of Boost Mobile’s customers,” said Kevin Foley. “By understanding the unique needs of our client’s target audience, our employees are better able to provide a customer service experience that is personal, meaningful, and true to the Boost Mobile brand.”

About ACCENT Marketing Services
ACCENT is an international provider of customer relationship management solutions that partners with world-class companies to market, sell, service, and retain their customers through customer care, loyalty marketing, and customer satisfaction programs. Founded in 1993 and majority owned by MDC Partners, Inc., the fast-growing company employs approximately 3,000 people in nine U.S. cities, Jamaica, and the Philippines. For more information, visit www.accentonline.com. For more information, visit www.accentonline.com

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 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.

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