Southwest Missouri News--Branson

by Carol Harris, Branson area, and Mary Engler-Guccione, Joplin area

GTE Regional President Mike Foster announced an agreement Oct. 22 between his company and Taney Economic Partners Corporation (TEPCOR) to make the Lakes Area Industrial Park at Hollister a GTE SmartPark business development. In a news release, Foster said, "This agreement allows us to use our national power across 28 states and our national sales and economic development teams. This provides Branson with exposure from North Carolina to Hawaii, from Minnesota to southern Texas, for business development."

"We can extend the reach of the local economic developer, and cheaper," said Dick Shoemaker, external communications manager for GTE.

In exchange for nationwide marketing, the industrial park agreed to choose GTE as the provider for existing and future telecommunications systems, Shoemaker said.

"This agreement is our commitment to the community that GTE will do whatever it takes, telecommunications-wise, to develop the Lakes Area Business Park," Foster said. "In fact, we already have fiber technology, ISDN, SONET ring capabilities and other advanced digital network services near the park.

"Tenants also will benefit from GTE's round-the-clock Network Operations Center. The NOC is our national team of experts who monitor these facilities as well as our switching offices to ensure nearly perfect service," Foster said.

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