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The company, which announced layoffs at the center in August, will retain its existing workforce, increase wage rates, and create 75 new jobs to support the client. ACCENT will employ more than 500 people and generate a new annual payroll of more than $12 million in Hot Springs once the center reaches capacity.

“This is a big victory for our company, our employees and this community,” said Kevin Foley, ACCENT’s president and CEO. “While ACCENT has had a long-standing partnership with this client, it was our employees’ proven track record of performance, which was instrumental in securing the future of our Hot Springs center. This agreement once again solidifies ACCENT as a preferred partner for our client and ensures we will remain a preferred employer in the Hot Springs community.

In January, the company announced a three-year contract extension with the telecommunications leader. An addendum to that agreement was signed awarding the additional customer care support to ACCENT’s Hot Springs contact center. ACCENT also received additional economic incentives from the Arkansas Department of Economic Development as well as the Garland County Economic Development Corporation.

“In 2006, our partners at the ADED and GCEDC created a business-friendly environment for us to open our Hot Springs contact center,” remarked Chris Dauk, ACCENT’s chief financial officer. “We are grateful for their continued dedication and support.”

To prepare for the new program, employees will undergo 176 hours of classroom training where they will learn about the client and how to support its wireless products and services. Upon completion of training, representatives will enter Learning Lab, a two week training course in which they will be moved into a controlled environment and begin taking live calls. The first training class is scheduled to take place in October.

ACCENT is also increasing wage rates for new and existing employees. Effective immediately, newly hired customer service representatives will receive $9 per hour during training. Upon completion of training and after meeting specific performance goals, CSRs will receive an additional $1, bringing their starting base wage rate to $10 per hour. This excludes incentives and shift differential pay. Existing CSRs will also receive a base wage increase up to $10 per hour.

“ACCENT made a commitment to their employees and to this community to do everything that was necessary to preserve the Hot Springs jobs, and we are pleased they worked diligently to fulfill that promise,” commented Garland County Economic Development Corporation president and CEO, Dave Byerly. “ACCENT is a great corporate citizen, and we are looking forward to them extending their community involvement for many years to come.”

Employees will begin taking calls for the new client in November. In addition to hiring for the 75 newly created positions, ACCENT will back-fill 60 positions, which were vacated as a result of the reduction in force notification. In all, ACCENT seeks to hire approximately 135 individuals across a variety of customer service and management positions. Interested applicants can apply in person at the contact center, located at 1321 Albert Pike Road, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. ACCENT will also host a job fair on October 11, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Room 201 at the Hot Springs Convention Center.

Opened in 2006, the Hot Springs center is the only ACCENT facility located in Arkansas and one of eleven customer care centers globally.

About ACCENT Marketing Services, LLC
ACCENT is an international provider of customer lifecycle management solutions. It partners with world-class companies to help them acquire, support, retain, and grow their customers at every stage in the customer lifecycle. Through ACCENT’s suite of data analytics, direct marketing, contact management, and fulfillment services the company delivers high quality, integrated marketing solutions that grow valuable client and customer relationships. Founded in 1993 and majority owned by MDC Partners, Inc., ACCENT employs more than 4,000 people in 10 U.S. cities, Jamaica, and the Philippines. For more information, visit www.accentonline.com.

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 Place 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”.