Partnership with Kentucky River Foothills will create new bus routes for contact center employees
Pearl Interactive Network, Inc. (Pearl), has teamed with Kentucky River Foothills Development Council (KRFDC) in creating new bus routes to provide transportation options for employees working at its contact center in Winchester, Kentucky.
The pilot project consists of two transportation routes to Pearl’s Winchester location; one route serving Estill and Powell counties, and the other serving Madison county. Operating hours for the new routes will be Monday through Friday, 8am-6:15pm. Transportation will be free to employees during the two-month pilot. The Estill County Board of Education in Irvine has offered the use of its parking lot for those who opt to park and ride.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Pearl to be the bus transportation provider for this pilot project,” said Bryan Basford, transportation director for Foothills Express, the transportation service of KRFDC. “Seeing an employer that is dedicated to developing resources that will benefit its employees is very encouraging. I’m hopeful that this will open many doors for future partnerships, and continue to break down the barriers that are hindering job-seekers in rural Appalachia.”
Many of Pearl’s employees have transportation challenges getting to work. Pearl’s management anticipates the new routes will help extend the company’s reach to outlying areas where it may be difficult or costly for employees to drive to work using their own transportation. By providing a benefit of effective and efficient transportation to employees, company officials hope to keep turnover to a minimum while retaining talented employees.
“By offering current employees a transportation option, the new bus routes will have a positive impact in the local area,” said Brenda Wingert, site manager of the contact center for Pearl. “It will also help with our recruiting and retention efforts as we continue to hire and retain good employees.”