Guthy | Renker Fulfillment Services: In the News

NOTE: Guthy | Renker Fulfillment Services is a new name for a company with more than a thirty year history.
Some of these news stories appeared under the previous company name, CPU2.

CPU2 Renamed Guthy|Renker Fulfillment Services, Announces Expansion Plans

ASHEVILLE, NC — March 15, 2011

Leading order fulfillment and teleservices company CPU2 has announced that effective immediately the company’s name is changing to Guthy|Renker Fulfillment Services, LLC, or simply GRFS.

According to Walter Gross, Senior Vice President of Fulfillment Operations, the name change reflects the company’s affiliation with its largest client and parent company, Guthy|Renker, LLC, headquartered in Palm Desert, CA.

GRFS is preparing its distribution centers in North Carolina and southern California to handle more direct-to-consumer fulfillment activity. Guthy|Renker™ has announced plans to utilize its bicoastal logistics capabilities more extensively to speed up customer deliveries and reduce shipping costs across multiple product lines.

“We are fortunate to be backed by one of the world’s true marketing powerhouses. Guthy|Renker’s renewed commitment to GRFS assures our ability to better serve the customers of Guthy|Renker and our other corporate clients over the long term,” Gross said.

The company recently announced it was hiring additional customer service agents in its Arden, NC and Covington, LA call centers to handle existing and anticipated new business as well.

GRFS was founded in 1978 by Guthy|Renker co-chairman Bill Guthy under the name Cassette Productions Unlimited. After operating as a division of Protocol Global Marketing for six years beginning in 2001, the company was spun off in 2007 and purchased by its executive management group and Guthy|Renker and the name was changed to CPU2.

GRFS has over 600 employees in its facilities in North Carolina, California and Louisiana. Their customer service and order fulfillment clients include Fortune 1000 marketing and manufacturing companies.

www.grfs.com

Guthy|Renker, LLC is one of the largest and most respected direct marketing companies in the world with distribution in 61 countries around the globe and more than $1.5 billion per year in sales. Best known for their Proactiv acne treatment solution, Guthy|Renker has had dozens of hit programs and products since its founding in 1988.

GRFS, LLC contact:
Walter Gross
Senior VP Fulfillment Services | GRFS
800-545-3828 ext. 501-1208
wgross@grfs.com

Alternate contact:
Bruce Dowdy
Business Development Manager | GRFS
800-545-3828 ext. 501-1229
bdowdy@grfs.com

CPU2 Expanding Inbound Call Center; Hiring 60

ASHEVILLE, NC — March 23, 2010

In its largest single hiring announcement since 2008, CPU2 is adding sixty positions within the next thirty days in its call center services operations in Arden, the company announced today. The jobs are related to new programs and initiatives by existing clients, according to company president Jeff Baker.

“It’s very rewarding that our clients are so happy with the excellent track record of our agents and management team here,” Baker said. “We’re also very pleased that this helps us bring additional opportunities to this region at this particular time.”

Unemployment in Western North Carolina reached 9.6% in January 2010.

In an industry where many companies make extensive use of offshore call center labor, CPU2 maintains its entire workforce within the United States. The jobs being added now are inbound sales and customer service agents. Applications are being accepted at the company’s facility located at 1845 Brevard Rd., Arden, NC.

CPU2 provides inbound call center and order fulfillment services to create complete business process outsourcing solutions for direct marketers and Fortune 1000 companies. Founded in 1978, the company partners with some of the best-known brands in the direct marketing industry to ensure satisfied, loyal customers for life. With over 650 employees nationwide, CPU2 has two call center facilities located in Arden, and another in Covington, LA, as well as order fulfillment operations in Arden and in Orange County, CA. To learn more, please visit www.cpu2.com/jobs.

Contact:
Greg Germann, Hiring Manager
(828)684-4300 ext. 1277

CPU2 Rooftop Solar Farm Powers Call Center Operations

ASHEVILLE, NC — December 7, 2009

CPU2 has a farm on the roof of its Asheville area headquarters — a solar power farm, that is.

CPU2, a leading provider of inbound call center and order fulfillment services to Fortune 1000 companies, has contracted with SolarTech South to install a solar power array on the roof of one of its Arden facilities. The cost of the solar unit is estimated at $1.35 million. It is generating enough electricity to offset over 45% of electrical power requirements for the building.

While many call center and fulfillment services companies around the country are consolidating operations and closing facilities as a result of the current business climate, CPU2 continues to invest in technology initiatives like the new solar farm that will give it a competitive edge going forward. Company President Jeff Baker said, "We're excited to be among the first companies in the Asheville area to adopt solar power technology on this scale. It's a situation where good corporate citizenship aligns with what makes sense for us as a business."

Baker explained, "Our vision for the company is to lead in any area that will benefit our clients, our employees and the community. This installation will significantly offset our use of outside electrical power. Over time, the installation will also help us avoid some of the rising costs of power from the grid."

The new solar array began construction on October 5th and was connected to the grid on December 7th 2009. It comprises 1,248 photovoltaic (PV) solar panels which generate up to 225kW of power during daylight production hours. The system is expected to output nearly 300,000 kWh of power annually, roughly enough electricity to power 32 average-sized homes, making it one of the largest rooftop solar power installations in the state to date.

Because the company's call center agents, data center and order fulfillment operations must be able to function 24 hours a day year-round regardless of weather conditions, it will continue to purchase additional power from Progress Energy, the regional power supplier. CPU2 was founded in 1978 and has over 600 employees in facilities located in North Carolina, California and Louisiana.

CPU2 Celebrates 30th Anniversary

ASHEVILLE, NC — November 13, 2008

November 2008 marks the 30th anniversary of the founding of CPU2. Beginning as a small company in southern California, CPU2 has grown to be a nationally recognized leader in the field of product fulfillment and customer care services, with additional facilities in Louisiana and North Carolina.

The company was acquired at the end of 2000 by Protocol Integrated Direct Marketing and operated as a division of that company until separating from Protocol in August 2007.

CPU2 has added several new trademarked services in the past year, including the groundbreaking Custom*Continuity™ flexible autoship program, as well as their new Freight$ave™ bicoastal fulfillment program, which offers potentially dramatic savings in product shipping costs.