A DIRECT HIT?

RED OAK —  Thanksgiving may be a little brighter in Montgomery County amidst a report that Direct TV will be relocating a call center into the former CDS Global building.

In an interview with Red Oak radio station KCSI last week, Chamber and Industrial Association Director Darrel-Steven Carlyle confirmed the service center would be moving into the CDS building, with operations starting in the first quarter of 2011.
 The Red Oak CIA and Direct TV had planned to issue a joint press release Monday announcing the relocation, but Carlyle reported to the Express that release would not be issued at this time.
He also declined to conduct an interview with the Express regarding the satellite television company's plans in Red Oak.
However, in his interview with KCSI Thursday afternoon, Carlyle said Direct TV would be hiring 200 people, adding the CDS location was a “perfect fit” for the service center.
“All the infrastructure, all the telecommunications lines are in the building,” Carlyle told KCSI. “That is one of the things that attracted them to Red Oak and to that particular building. Obviously, with the workforce that CDS global had, they are trained for that type of facility and it was a good fit and a good match for Red Oak, Iowa.”
While Direct TV is declining to comment on the relocation, they are soliciting applications through advertisements in the Express, on the radio, and online for 70 dispatchers.
According to the job description, the position is “responsible for taking all necessary steps to resolve customer issues as escalated from the Direct TV call centers.”
Qualifications needed include a high school degree, at least a year of customer service experience, basic math, reading and computer skills, and a negative pre-employment drug test.
While the level of pay is not listed, the advertisements do indicate the position includes “competitive compensation” and “excellent benefits.”
Carlyle said interviews have already begun to fill some positions, and that Direct TV officials are expected to be onsite the week of Dec. 6 to conduct in-person interviews.
He said Direct TV would be using about half of the 50,000 square feet available in the building. Acorn One maintains ownership of the building.
CDS Global, Red Oak's third largest employer, closed June 30, costing about 200 people their jobs.
The company opened in Red Oak 21 years ago, and processed magazine subscriptions for Readers' Digest and Highlights for Children, among others.