As a communications company that relies heavily on technology, a highly skilled work force is of paramount importance to Centennial Wireless.

So, keeping its employees apprised of the constant upgrades in technology, including the ability to continually train those employees, is an important aspect of the company’s way of doing business.

“Keeping our employees abreast of the changes is huge and a challenge to the company,” said Phillip Mayberry, president, U.S. Wireless, for Centennial Wireless.

A skilled work force — and the ability to train it — is one reason why Centennial Wireless decided to keep its U.S. operations’ headquarters in Fort Wayne, Ind.

The company announced in August that it is expanding and relocating to a larger facility in Fort Wayne that will accommodate nearly 70 new executive, engineering, information technology (IT), data management, accounting and marketing positions.

Centennial Wireless will invest more than $2.1 million in improvements and equipment in the 51,000 square foot facility.

Centennial Wireless operates FCC-licensed cellular telephone companies in six states, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. It is nearing $1 billion in revenues.

It was always the intention of the company to remain in Fort Wayne, where it has been headquartered for 15 years and currently has nearly 400 employees.

But once word got out that the company was looking for a bigger facility, it was enticed by a neighboring county in Indiana and the state of Michigan to move.

But the high-quality work force was an overwhelming factor in Fort Wayne’s favor, Mayberry said.

“The reliability and work ethic of the labor pool is very good,” he said. “Plus, Fort Wayne is centrally located for our business. Even though it is a relatively small community, the transport to our operations outside the Midwest is easy.”

The Fort Wayne-Allen County Economic Development Alliance brought together the city, county and state of Indiana to craft an incentives package for Centennial Wireless.

“The city and state provide a great business climate,” Mayberry said. “That made this investment an easy decision for us, especially when factoring in a large office facility that will satisfy our needs.”

The company will receive up to $900,000 in tax credits during the next 10 years from the Economic Development for a Growing Economy program and up to $175,000 of its qualified investment through the Hoosier Business Investment tax credit program.

Centennial Wireless will also receive nearly $200,000 in work force training funds, including about $146,500 in grants from the Skills Enhancement Fund and $50,000 in grants for technology professionals through the Technology Enhancement Certifications for Hoosiers fund.

The company will also be able to use the funds to train employees at a 300-seat call center it operates in Fort Wayne.

“You can get a good, well-skilled work force in Fort Wayne. It is a good city to recruit people,” Mayberry said. “For somebody to put together and fund [work force training] programs is great.”

Medical Firm To Build Expanded Facility

The state of Indiana is attempting to ease its reliance on manufacturing jobs by diversifying its economic base. That makes it critical for the state to attract and retain companies like Centennial Wireless and medical technology firm Becton, Dickinson and Co. (BD).

BD broke ground earlier this year on a 655,000 square foot distribution center (DC) in Plainfield, west of Indianapolis. The $40 million capital investment is expected to create 70 jobs by 2012.

The facility will replace the current DC located in Indianapolis, where more than 90 workers are employed.

“We have simply outgrown the Indianapolis site,” said Larry P. Smith, vice president of supply chain and customer service for BD.

BD manufactures a variety of medical supplies, devices, laboratory equipment and diagnostic products.

The company will receive as much as $160,000 from the state of Indiana for work force training and up to $400,000 in off-site infrastructure improvements needed to serve the facility from the Industrial Development Grant Fund.

“BD worked with state and local officials to make it possible for us to deepen our long-term commitment in the Indianapolis metro area,” Smith said.