Verizon exec talks Little Rock jobs, sign changes

Steve Smith, the Verizon head of the Little Rock corporate campus that once was home to Alltel Corp. commits to retain around 1,300 jobs in central Arkansas and teases that the public will soon see physical changes.

Verizon Wireless bought Alltel in a $28.1 billion deal that ensconces Verizon’s place as the largest U.S. wireless service provider with more than 80 million customers.

Smith, South Central Region President for Verizon, is in charge of folding Alltel’s almost 18,000 employees and 14 million customers into the Verizon system.

Roby Brock, a content partner with The City Wire, was given an exclusive interview last week with Smith.

Job security for the company’s central Arkansas workforce, which stood at around 3,100 at the end of 2008, is a concern that Smith recognizes carries particular sensitivity.  When the Verizon-Alltel merger was consummated in early January, commitments were made for certain job levels in the Little Rock area, but a number of lower level employees are still in a holding pattern.

“We’ve been consistent in terms of talking in the range of 1,300 or so jobs that would definitely stay here in Little Rock,” Smith said during the interview with Brock.  “What we’ve told employees and anybody else is we are focused on growing our business and the key to keeping jobs here in the Little Rock area is the pace at which we continue to grow our business.”

While much is happening behind the scenes, Smith repeats a consistent and previously stated timeframe for Arkansans to see visible signs of a change between the two companies.  By the third quarter of this year, signs will come down from buildings bearing the Alltel name and Verizon Wireless signs will replace them, including retail stores, the former Alltel campus, and Alltel Arena.  Alltel customer bills will transition to the Verizon name during that time.

“Stay tuned,” Smith noted. “You will see things in the very near future.  I’d like to give you specific dates, but I’m not going to do that today, but stay tuned.  There will be a lot coming down the road.”

Link here for a 60-second video interview with Smith.