From Tulsa World:
More growth at Williams
By BECKY TIERNAN World Staff Writer
3/16/00
Company expects state work force to increase growth by 5,490 in four years
Energy and telecommunications giant Williams said Wednesday that it would add 5,490 jobs in Oklahoma, including approximately 4,000 at its Tulsa headquarters, within four years.
The plan will increase the company's current local employee base of 5,143 by 77 percent and more than double employment at its Williams Communications Group unit, which now employs about 2,200 in Tulsa.
Williams' Oklahoma employee base has grown by 30 percent in the past three years. Much of that expansion has been driven by Williams Communications, which is building a 33,000-mile nationwide fiber-optic network.
"The growth of our business has been phenomenal and we expect the growth to continue," said Howard Janzen, the president and chief executive of Williams Communications.
The announcement makes Williams one of the largest participants in the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program. As such, the company could receive more than $105 million in state tax benefits over 10 years.
The program allows qualifying businesses that create quality jobs for Oklahomans to receive financial incentives for new wages paid. To qualify, a company must have a central administrative office in the state or be a manufacturer, a research and development facility, or a listed service company with 75 percent of total sales to out-of- state customers.
"Williams remains committed to building a world-class work force and will continue to strive to create quality jobs for Oklahomans," Janzen said.
Williams Communications more than doubled its staff in 1999, said Lisa Linthicum, a company spokeswoman. The company is a "carrier's carrier," offering capacity on its network to long-distance companies that sell directly to end users.
Williams Communications is scheduled to complete its fiber network this year. To accommodate growth, the company started construction last year on the 15-story Williams Technology Center west of Cincinnati Avenue between First and Second streets.
When the 733,391-square-foot building is completed in the second quarter of 2001, it will house 3,500 employees, Linthicum said.
Williams already has begun hiring for the positions included in Wednesday's announcement.
"The types of jobs available will run the gamut from engineers and technicians to marketing people," Linthicum said. "Many of the new jobs already have been posted on our web site: cf,fgc www.williamscommuni-[ 4] cations.com." cf,ceno
Previously, only Williams Communications participated in the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program. With the new contract, all components of Williams will participate, officials said.
The stock of Williams Communications, which is 85 percent owned by the parent company, closed Wednesday at $50.62, down $2. However, the shares have been on a tear recently. The stock is up 75 percent since Jan. 1 and is more than double its Oct. 1 initial public offering price of $23.
The stock price rose on March 1 past $50 a share, triggering a $50 cash bonus for all Williams employees. Williams Communications hit its 52-week high of $61.81 on March 7.
Williams employs 23,000 people worldwide in its energy, gas pipelines and communications businesses. The parent company's stock closed on Wednesday at $45.44, down 44 cents from the previous day.
Becky Tiernan, World business writer, can be reached at 581-8369 or via e- mail at becky.tiernan@tulsaworld.com.
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