Communications firm adds space, jobs at new facility

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Communication Solutions & Technology, a retailer and installer of telephone systems and equipment, and a provider of voice mail, answering service and local phone service, has consolidated its offices, formerly at 838 and 1342 S. Glenstone, into one facility at 310 S. Ingram Mill Road. |ret||ret||tab|

The company bought the building from Tom Murray, of Ozark Art & Craft Distributors Inc., and moved there in October. Communication Solutions & Technology is now taking bids for renovation of its new facility.|ret||ret||tab|

"We were under a couple of different roofs before, where one hand didn't know what the other was doing. We're able to make better decisions and actually decrease our expenses by going under one roof," said Jim Morris, owner of Communication Solutions & Technology. Other benefits of moving, and later with the renovation, will include bigger and better facilities for employees, Morris said. |ret||ret||tab|

"Right now the telemarketers are fairly compact; the workstations are too small. One of the biggest reasons for us doing this (renovation) is to step up the professionalism and give them the work-stations they deserve," Morris said. |ret||ret||tab|

General Manager Bruce Porter said consolidating the telemarketing department and all other departments in one building has made for a more professional environment; one in which it is easier to make decisions concerning the entire company because all the employees are in one location. |ret||ret||tab|

The spaciousness of the new facility prompted Morris to consider offering day care for children of Communication Solutions employees, but getting past the initial red tape of getting a company-run day care off the ground has been a challenge, he said.|ret||ret||tab|

"I think it's a great benefit for employees, but what I'm being told now is that there's a lot of insurance and liability issues," Morris said. "It's something we'd like to do, but no one's made it happen yet." |ret||ret||tab|

Communication Solutions & Technology's newly hired human resources manager, David Zink, will continue researching the day-care issue, according to Morris.|ret||ret||tab|

Morris said the company, which he and his wife, Azola, began in 1997, added more than 100 employees with the move and could easily add 50 more. Azola also serves as the outside sales manager for the company. |ret||ret||tab|

Before the move, Communication Solutions purchased an answering service, adding it to a broad range of services that includes cellular and paging.|ret||ret||tab|

"We basically bought an answering service out in March and we've been adding to it ever since; we've grown it significantly since we bought it," Morris said. The answering service, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, was called Corporate Communications before Communication Solutions & Technology bought it. |ret||ret||tab|

Jim and Azola Morris both worked for ProTel Systems before beginning Communication Solutions & Technology in 1997, Jim Morris as a marketing consultant and Azola Morris in sales. Prior to that, Jim Morris worked for GTE Telephone.|ret||ret||tab|

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