Dominion Resources, Inc. : Governor McDonnell Announces 150 New Jobs in Halifax County

RICHMOND, Va., Dec. 22, 2011  - Governor Bob McDonnell today announced that Dominion Virginia Power in partnership with Faneuil, Inc. will invest $1.5 million and create 150 jobs in Halifax County by establishing a customer care center for Dominion Virginia Power. Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling joined business and government leaders in South Boston today on the Governor's behalf to announce the project.

With today's announcement there are 300 customer care center jobs related to Dominion in Southern Virginia.

Speaking about today's announcement, Governor McDonnell said, "It is great news for Virginians that Dominion Virginia Power has decided once again to create jobs in Southern Virginia through its strong partnership with Faneuil, a Virginia-based company that continues to expand its presence across the Commonwealth. It is gratifying to see two excellent Virginia businesses work together to serve Virginia customers, and create Virginia jobs."

"I want to thank our friends at Dominion Virginia Power and Faneuil for working together to locate another customer call center in Southern Virginia," said Lieutenant Governor Bolling. "This new customer call center will create 150 new jobs in South Boston and Halifax County and provide needed economic opportunities for many Virginia families. These two companies have been great partners in getting Virginians back to work and we look forward to working with them as they continue to grow and expand well into the future."

"Halifax County is able to offer an available facility that will attract the right workforce that will provide excellent service to Dominion Virginia Power's customers right here at home," said Jim Cheng, Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade. "Dominion Virginia Power performs crucial work for Virginians, and this new location will also enable the company to continue providing excellent customer service."

"The center in Halifax County accomplishes the twin goals of providing good jobs here and enhancing the level of service for our customers," said Paul D. Koonce, Dominion Virginia Power's chief executive officer. "New employees in Halifax County will be well equipped to handle customer calls because of their strong work ethic and their common sense in dealing with people. These are qualities that will make this additional customer care center successful."

"Halifax County's workforce is eager to provide exceptional customer service for our client, and the local government is interested in providing partnership and support for our company's continued growth," said Anna Van Buren, Faneuil's chief executive officer. "Our substantial investment signifies our commitment to a long-term relationship with this region of the Commonwealth."

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the Industrial Development Authority of Halifax County to secure the project for Virginia. The Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission approved $800,000 in Tobacco Region Opportunity Funds for the project. The company is eligible to receive a Major Business Facility Job Tax Credit as well as state benefits from the Virginia Enterprise Zone Program, administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. Through its Virginia Jobs Investment Program, the Virginia Department of Business Assistance will provide funding and services to support the Company's recruitment and training activities.

"Economic development takes leadership and patience. The leadership of Halifax envisioned Riverstone Technology Park and Riverstone Centre, and the Virginia Tobacco Commission continues to invest in that vision. Change doesn't happen overnight. The one thing that the leadership knew for certain is that they couldn't sit back and wait for jobs and investment; they had to proactively pursue it. Because of that vision, when opportunity knocked, Halifax County was ready and opened the door. Faneuil will be an excellent corporate citizen and provide much needed opportunity to our citizens. We applaud Dominion Virginia Power for their efforts to bring jobs to the Commonwealth and their continued investment in Halifax County. Today is a very good day in Halifax County and I am proud of the work our team has done to make it happen. Three months ago this was an idea and today these jobs are a reality," said Mike Sexton, IDA executive director.

"I am pleased to see that the Virginia Tobacco Commission was a participant in the effort to bring this project to Southern Virginia," said Edward Owens, a Commissioner of The Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission. "With its prior commitment to Riverstone Technology Park, the Commission has a commitment to help make this project, and hopefully many more, become a reality. Congratulations are in order for Faneuil and the community alike for this positive step toward job creation."

"Today's announcement that Dominion Virginia Power, in partnership with Faneuil, Inc., is establishing its call center in South Boston is great news for the 5th District and the Commonwealth," said Congressman Robert Hurt (VA-5). "I want to thank Governor McDonnell for his hard work on this project and I also want to thank Dominion and Faneuil for their commitment to job creation in Southside. This location will create 150 new jobs in the 5th District at a time when we need it most, and is a great example of how Virginia businesses, investing private capital, can work together with the Commonwealth to create much-needed jobs. As we work to get our economy back on track, I welcome this announcement as a positive step in the right direction toward growing our economy and getting 5th District Virginians back to work."

"Today's good news about new jobs for Southside is the result of a great working partnership between Dominion and Faneuil, and the coordinated economic development strategies between local, regional and state partners," Senator Mark R. Warner (D-VA) said. "Refocusing and diversifying the economy of Southside continues to be a priority for all of us, and that will occur through a continued series of high-quality job announcements just like this one."

About the partners:

Dominion (NYSE:D) is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, with a portfolio of approximately 28,200 megawatts of generation. Dominion operates the nation's largest natural gas storage system and serves retail energy customers in 15 states. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's Web site at .

, headquartered in Hampton, VA, is a leading outsource provider of multi-channel customer contact services offering solutions with creativity, innovation, and flexibility. As a "boutique" call center provider, the company refines its operations to closely fit the culture of their clients. Faneuil currently has more than 2,800 employees and is responsible for millions of customer transactions each day.

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Contacts:

Office of the Governor
Contact: Jeff Caldwell
Phone: (804) 225-4260
E-mail: Jeff.Caldwell@Governor.Virginia.Gov

Virginia Economic Development Partnership
Contact: Suzanne West
Phone: (804) 545-5806
E-mail: Swest@yesvirginia.org

Dominion Virginia Power
Contact: David Botkins
Phone: (804) 771-6115
E-mail: David.B.Botkins@dom.com

Faneuil, Inc.
Contact: Anna Van Buren
Phone: (757) 722-3235
E-mail: anna.vanburen@faneuil.com