Dex One is expanding in Kansas

Cary yellow pages publisher Dex One is opening a new sales center in Kansas that will employ 350 workers.

The "vast majority" of the sales and support workers at the facility will be new hires, producing a net increase in jobs at the company, Dex spokesman Chris Hardman said this morning.

That's a reversal from the company's recent cost-cutting binge, which included eliminating about 500 jobs -- or 15 percent of the work force -- since November. The company has pledged to lower its costs by $100 million this year even after investing $40 million in what CEO Alfred Mockett has dubbed "future revenue-generating opportunities."

Boosting the sales force is aimed at increasing contact with advertisers and, ultimately, boosting revenue. Dex's revenue totaled $1.78 billion last year, down 19 percent from 2009.

Dex publishes phone directories in 28 states and is expanding its digital and mobile advertising products as advertisers shift away from print media. The company has about 400 workers in the Triangle and 3,200 overall.

Dex filed for bankruptcy in 2009 but emerged early last year after shedding billions of dollars in debt. It also changed its name from R.H. Donnelley.

Dex announced this morning that it is opening its sales center, which will focus on its digital advertising products, in Overland Park, Kan. The company already has about 150 workers there at another site, which it is maintaining.

Hardman said the company received government incentives to locate its sales center in Kansas but declined to provide any details.

BY DAVID RANII - STAFF WRITER

Source : http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/03/03/1027288/dex-one-is-expanding-in-kansas.html#ixzz1Nnh8CvkM