The 108,000-sf facility, scheduled to open early next year, will be located in the Northwest Temple Industrial Park. Cathy Bradley, Nextel's chief services officer, says construction will begin as soon as possible on the one-story center, which will be positioned on 22 acres at 1600 Eberhardt Rd. in the Acer America subdivision. The site already is being prepped. Bradley says 500 people initially will be employed, with as many as 800 workers over the long term. She says Temple was selected because of its potential for a highly skilled workforce to complement Nextel's rapidly growing customer base. The Temple center will be Nextel's fifth customer support center. Other centers are located in Rutherford, N J, Denver, Atlanta and Hampton Roads, VA.

"The announcement of Nextel's decision to locate in Temple is exciting news," says Bell County Judge Jon Burrows, citing the county's inroads into the high-tech market. Joining Burrows in his favorable comments is W.A, "Buck" Prewitt, chairman of the board of directors for the Temple Economic Development Corp. He says Bell County's newest business exemplifies the EDC's ongoing efforts to attract companies and capital investment to the town