THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 15, 1995 TAG: 9502150498
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TONI WHITT, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
Direct Marketing Enterprises Ltd. chose to relocate to Portsmouth because of the city's enterprise-zone benefits, work force services help, local incentives and the central location of the PortCentre Commerce Park site, said Jerry Williams, the company's chief executive officer.
On Tuesday, Portsmouth entered into an agreement to bring the company from Long Island, N.Y., to the commerce park near the mouth of the Downtown Tunnel.
``This is a very exciting opportunity for Portsmouth,'' Mayor Gloria O. Webb said. ``This is good news, this is headline news for Portsmouth. We are extremely pleased to have a company of DME's caliber locating in Portsmouth.''
The move is expected to bring nearly 300 jobs to Portsmouth.
Those jobs include work in: warehousing, shipping and receiving, transportation, materials handling, security, maintenance, keypunching, computer operations, and customer service, said Matthew James, director of Portsmouth's Department of Economic Development.
Direct Marketing Enterprises will recruit and train its employees through a partnership with the state's work force services program. William L. Nusbaum, a local attorney representing Direct Marketing Enterprises, said that the company will work with Portsmouth to hire city residents.
The company was recruited through a partnership of state, regional and city economic-development entities. The state contributed $500,000 toward improvements to the site at PortCentre and to job training. The city will invest another $565,000 in the site.
``It's always fun to present a check from the state's opportunity fund,'' State Secretary of Commerce Robert T. Skanda said Tuesday night. ``This is a significant day for the city. DME is a great addition. It is improving the city's business climate and its ability to be competitive.''
The company, headquartered in Westbury, N.Y., is a privately held mail-order, direct-marketing and distribution industry. It is owned by Williams and Steve Brown.
The company sells toys, jewelry, clothing, electronics, home medical-care products and other general merchandise.
According to company officials, Direct Marketing Enterprises mailed about $200 million catalogs and direct-mail packages, and processed more than 5 million orders last year. The company sold about $140 million in merchandise.
Anne Baldwin of Forward Hampton Roads said that the project would be the largest private facility built in the region in more than seven years.
She added that the company is the third in a series of similar industries to locate in the region, beginning with Lillian Vernon in Virginia Beach and then QVC in Suffolk.
Construction is expected to begin this spring, and the company plans to begin recruiting employees by fall. The company will initially invest $9.5 million in the warehouse, offices and new equipment. The 230,000-square-foot warehouse will be located on 23 acres in the commerce park near the studios of WAVY-TV.
Only the company's executive offices, and art and advertising copywriting departments will remain in Long Island, officials said. by CNB