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First Data Corp. To Close Bibb Facility

Posted on: Friday, 30 December 2005, 09:00 CST

By Linda S. Morris, The Macon Telegraph, Ga., The Macon Telegraph, Ga.

Dec. 30--First Data Corp. is closing its Macon facility, eliminating about 300 jobs from the local economy, a company spokeswoman said Thursday evening.

The company is moving the work to other locations, mostly to Omaha, Neb., said Donna Pennington, director of the company's corporate communications.

The Macon office on New Forsyth Road provides statement printing, mailing and embossing for credit cards and debit cards.

The shutdown will begin in phases in early January with final closure expected by May, Pennington said.

"During the transition, approximately 300 positions will be eliminated in Macon and we anticipate approximately 200 positions will be added in Omaha," according to a corporate news release.

The move was needed to make the company more efficient, Pennington said.

"Basically, we have been looking at, on an ongoing basis, streamlining all of our operations to reduce costs, and this is part of the overall company-wide initiative," she said.

Contacted Thursday evening, Pat Topping, senior vice president of the Macon Economic Development Commission, said he was surprised to hear of the pending closure.

Topping said he was aware the company was going through an evaluation and that some teams had been in Macon for about 10 months.

"The feedback we were getting was that we were looking pretty good," Topping said. "When they started adding people a couple months ago, we thought that was a good sign."

Topping will be contacting the company to try to understand what happened, he said.

First Data joins other companies in Macon and Bibb County that will be closing in 2006.

R.J. Reynolds Tobacco, formerly Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp., is slated to close by mid-year. About 900 workers are still at the manufacturing plant that once had about 2,100 employees. Most of the workers who accepted transfer offers have moved to RJR's plant in Winston-Salem, N.C.

In March, Kellogg Co. announced it would close Macon's Keebler cookie and cracker plant by April, putting 400 workers out of jobs.

First Data arrived in Macon in November 1999 when it bought the business from GE Capital.

At that time, all 200 local GE employees joined First Data's payroll.

All eligible workers now with First Data in Macon will receive severance benefits and outplacement services, Pennington said.

"We will do everything we can to assist employees through this transition," she said.

Topping said local leaders and organizations also will be offering assistance. Because of the number of jobs lost, the Georgia Department of Labor will be able to help with job training benefits, he said.

The First Data building, which has about 200,000 square feet of office space on New Forsyth Road at Bass Road, is at a prime location to attract other business, Topping said. It is close to the Bass Pro Shops distribution center and store being built.

"That's a great location and a great building," Topping said. "It's a real good piece of property. It's just a shame to see First Data leave."

To contact writer Linda S. Morris, call 744-4223 or e-mail lmorris@macontel.com [mailto:lmorris@macontel.com].

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Copyright (c) 2005, The Macon Telegraph, Ga.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: The Macon Telegraph (Macon, Ga.)

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