FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW CALL CENTRE WILL BRING UP TO 500 JOBS TO PENTICTON

PENTICTON - U.S.-based Excell Agent Services will open a call centre in Penticton, creating as many as 500 new jobs, with the help of the provincial government and Penticton Economic Services, Employment and Investment Minister Tim Stevenson said today. pharmaciesreview.com

A $500,000 investment from the provincial government, through the Ministry of Employment and Investment, will help fund training for 143 new full-time employees of the centre. Excell will invest $2 million US ($3.2 million Cdn) to set up its new call centre in the former Home Hardware location on Channel Parkway. The call centre is expected to boost greater Penticton's economy by $9.5 million to $12.6 million a year.

"I welcome Excell to our province," said Stevenson. "B.C. offers a strategic location and a well-educated, productive workforce. By providing training assistance to companies like Excell, we are making sure local people benefit from new investments."

"Excell conducted an exhaustive site search before choosing Penticton," said Gil Mauk, CEO and President, Excell Agent Services. "Several factors weighed heavily in favour of Penticton, including the availability of a skilled and highly educated workforce, first-rate quality of life and a building available for sublease. Excell looks forward to our long-term relationship with Penticton and appreciates the assistance the Penticton Chamber of Commerce has provided."

Excell owns and operates state-of-the-art call centres around the globe, including five in the U.S. The company provides a full range of customized wholesale services to some of the world's largest companies in telecommunications, retail, e-commerce, utilities, finance and banking, travel and reservations, and health care.

"The Excell call centre will provide a substantial economic boost to our community and will help to diversify and strengthen the regional economy as well as provide skilled, long-term jobs," said Penticton Mayor Mike Pearce. "I congratulate Excell for choosing Penticton and extend my full support to help get this project rolling."

Excell's investment is a direct result of Linx BC, a partnership among the provincial government, Telus and seven B.C. municipalities working together to attract new call-centre jobs and investment to the province. For more information about Linx BC, visit the Web site at www.linxbc.com on the Internet.

For more information on the Ministry of Employment and Investment, visit our Web site at www.gov.bc.ca/ei/ on the Internet. For more information about Excell Agent Services, call 1-888-359-6660 or visit ExcellAgent.com on the Web.