Phone Company Adding 200 Jobs in Little Rock

Phone-company Windstream Corp. plans to add 200 jobs at its headquarters in Little Rock, Ark., the company announced Tuesday.

Windstream had considered leaving Little Rock when its lease expired because of rapid growth that has seen the company expand from 16 states to 23. Windstream has purchased five other phone companies since entering into its Little Rock lease in 2006.

“In the end, after careful analysis, we decided that that the best course for the company was to remain in Little Rock and Arkansas,” CEO Jeff Gardner told the Associated Press.

According to the report, Windstream was created as a spinoff of the wireless business of Alltel. It subsequently merged with Valor Communications Group.

Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe has pledged $5 million in cash incentives to the company for adding jobs.

Windstream, which sells broadband and landline phone service mostly in the Southeast, had $4 billion in revenue and 9,500 employees last fiscal year.