HR1212

LRB094 20270 HSS 58249 r






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HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, It is the privilege of this Body to recognize 
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milestone events in the history of businesses in our great 
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State; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The Cingular Wireless call center in Rantoul is 
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celebrating its tenth anniversary and is a model for 
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public-private partnership in economic development and job 
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creation; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The center is located on what was once the Chanute 
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Air Force Base that was surplused by the government in 1993; 
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the Village of Rantoul has since turned the abandoned 2200-acre 
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complex into an aviation and business/industrial park; the 
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Village has worked diligently to improve the abandoned 
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infrastructure; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The Cingular Wireless Rantoul facility became 
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operational as a wireless call center on April 15, 1996, with 
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approximately 30 employees; the center now occupies the entire 
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92,000 square foot, 2-story building that was acquired by the 
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Village of Rantoul in 1993 when the base was closed; from 1993 
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until 2002 the building was utilized as a commercial, 
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multi-tenant building of which the Cingular Wireless Rantoul 
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call center was the anchor business; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Originally the Cingular Wireless Rantoul call 
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center occupied only the second floor of the multi-tenant 
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building; the second floor consisted of 50,000 square feet and 
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had seating for approximately 225 associates and support staff; 
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in 1998 an additional 25,000 square feet was leased for 
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additional seating of 117 employees; in April, 2002, Cingular 
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Wireless acquired the entire 92,000 square foot building, which 
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contains seating for 550 associates and 70 managers and support 
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staff; and

 
 


 






HR1212
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LRB094 20270 HSS 58249 r




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    WHEREAS, The Cingular Wireless Rantoul facility is a 
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state-of-the-art call center employing approximately 550 
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Illini; the Rantoul center decor has been copied in many 
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company call centers from the bright, colorful wall paints to 
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the open seating and upbeat atmosphere; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The Rantoul call center has always enjoyed a 
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reputation as one of the premier employers in the Central 
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Illinois area; being in close proximity to Champaign/Urbana and 
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the University of Illinois, Cingular Wireless is provided with 
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a more than ample potential workforce; currently, Cingular 
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Wireless Rantoul call center associates represent 
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approximately 34 zip codes from about a 50-mile radius; 
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Cingular Wireless's experience with the Central Illinois 
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workforce has been that these are hardworking individuals with 
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a strong work ethic; therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
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we congratulate the Cingular Wireless Rantoul call center on 
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the occasion of its tenth anniversary; and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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presented to the Cingular Wireless Rantoul call center as an 
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expression of our esteem.