MPS offices moving
By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — In a continued effort to streamline services while keeping customer costs down, officials with Maine Public Service announced Monday the relocation of the home office and customer service center to its field operations center located four miles outside of the compact area of Presque Isle, on the Parkhurst Siding Road.
Negotiations for sale or lease of the soon-to-be-vacated facilities — on State St. and Carmichael St. — is ongoing.
“In anticipation of the completion of these transactions and occupancy by the purchaser or tenants, MPS is moving forward with plans to remodel alternative office spaces and relocate affected MPS employees to another MPS facility,” said Virginia Joles, director of communications and economic development.
Joles said as part of an integration process with sister utility Bangor Hydro and as part of regular evaluation of business operations, a joint project team measured cost effectiveness and appropriate use of all MPS properties and buildings.
“The group concluded that efficiency gains from combining work functions would reduce business costs and help keep rates stable for customers. As a result, in July 2011, the headquarters building and the Customer Call Center were listed for sale and have been actively marketed by a local real estate broker for sale or long-term business lease,” Joles said.
The MPS customer call center will become an anchor occupant in the north end of the G. Melvin Hovey Operations Center, located at 10 Parkhurst Siding Rd.
“Although there are no immediate plans to expand the Customer Call Center, it is an area of business where there may be future growth,” she said.
Customer service employees will move to the north end over the weekend of March 23-24, noted Joles, occupying two offices and a 10-seat call center. In a future move, employees currently occupying offices at the headquarters building will move to the Center the first week in May.
MPS Senior Vice President and Interim General Manager Lois M. Smith said, “The moves will provide Maine Public Service a unique opportunity to house all of its major support functions under one roof and help us improve our focus on serving customers.”
Maine Public Service, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Emera, Inc., headquartered in Halifax, N.S., is a regulated electric transmission and distribution utility serving approximately 36,000 electricity customers in northern Maine. The corporate website is www.mainepublicservice.com.
