Data Listing Services will establish a third presence in New York State with a new call center in Penn Yan

Empire State Development (ESD) today announced that Data Listing Services, LLC, dba The Connection—a leader in outsourced call center services—will expand its existing presence in New York State and open a new call center in Penn Yan. The Connection will invest approximately $4.5 million in this new call center, creating 450 new jobs. This facility will be the company's third location in New York State, with operations presently in Jamestown and Olean.

"As part of my State of the State address, I stated that my Administration will focus on expanding the New York's back office opportunities by making Upstate the preferred back office for corporate America. The Connection's investment throughout Upstate, and now expansion to Penn Yan, moves this vision along exponentially," said Governor Paterson. "Further, it cannot be underestimated how significant the creation of 450 new full-time jobs is to this community. In a time when our State and our country need to focus on helping the unemployed back to work and reign in spending to protect our economic and fiscal stability, this investment is critical. I would like to thank The Connection for their sustained belief that New York State is a place where businesses can thrive and I wish them much continued success for their growth and expansion."

ESD Chairman and CEO designate Dennis M. Mullen said: "Companies from around the world are starting to realize the enormous capacity and competitive strengths Upstate New York has to offer for conducting and growing a business. Upstate has the trained and educated workforce, vast space and livable communities in place that not only support these office operations, but are designed to help take businesses to the next competitive level."

The Connection CEO Fred Weiner said: "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to expand in Upstate New York. The quality of the workforces in Jamestown and Olean have been superb and we trust that, in Penn Yan, we will be able to replicate those qualities."

The Connection will invest approximately $4.48 million in equipment, training and construction activities to construct this new call center in Penn Yan. To help offset these costs, ESD has earmarked a $1 million grant to the project. Additionally, the Village of Penn Yan—on behalf of the company—will be eligible to apply for $250,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds from the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal. Further, as this call center will be located in the Yates County Empire Zone, The Connection may qualify for up to $485,000 in Empire Zone incentives.

Brian Lawlor, Acting Commissioner of the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal said: "Congratulations to Data Listing Services and to the residents of Penn Yan who will benefit from increased jobs and economic growth. I want to thank Governor Paterson for his dedication to helping businesses access the tools they need to succeed in New York State. We are looking forward to the village's application for New York State Community Development Block Grant funding. This funding would complement Empire State Development’s grant and help Data Listing Services continue to thrive."

Steve Griffin, CEO, Finger Lakes Economic Development Center said: "We are very excited about The Connection selecting Penn Yan for the location of their next call center. We are appreciative of the support for this project from Governor Patterson, Empire State Development and the Office of Community Renewal. The creation of these new jobs will have a significant impact on our local economy. We have put in a lot of time working with the Company and New York State to make this project happen in Yates County. It has been very encouraging to see the collaborative effort of local and regional workforce development agencies along with the support of local and State government. The success of this project is further evidence that Yates County and the Finger Lakes region have both the quality and quantity of labor to help companies succeed."

The call center in Penn Yan will employ 450 new, full-time workers, ramping up over a three-year period. These workers will be hired in three phases, 150 employees at a time. The first phase of hiring will be completed in the first quarter of 2010, with the third and final phase being completed by the end of 2011.

The Connection is headquartered in Burnsville, Minnesota. The company's customer base consists of companies of all sizes, ranging from Fortune 50 to smaller, privately held companies to Federal and State agencies.

Empire State Development is New York's chief economic development agency. ESD also oversees the marketing of "I LOVE NY," the State's iconic tourism brand. For more information, visit www.nylovesbiz.com.