Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. commended Qwest for investing in Utah. "And I'm mighty grateful as governor right now because we can say as a state that we are as competitive as any state in America," he said.

"And when there was a lot of talk about outsourcing two years ago, you didn't hear much about the possibility that maybe we would be insourcing over time, as opposed to outsourcing. So here we are, insourcing a whole lot of jobs to the extent where our unemployment in this state is about 3.3 percent."

The governor noted that the call center is part of the evolution of employment opportunities for Utah State University students, recalling that his grandfather washed dishes at the Bluebird Cafe while attending USU.

"But he did what was then available for his generation, and subsequent generations have done what's best for them, and now (there are) these great jobs for people in this part of the state, so they can choose to stay here if that's what they want to do," Huntsman said.

Workers at the Qwest center earn an average of $40,000 annually, with the lowest-paying jobs at $24,000.

"We're finally above the bar in terms of compensation, which means that, thanks to (Notebaert) and others, we're not just creating jobs. We're creating jobs that are paying people more and offering them the chance to do more with their lives and to stay in their communities where they love to live and to raise their families in those communities, and that's a great thing," the governor said.

U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, also hammered home a few points about the former hardware store, saying Qwest made a wise decision to put the center in North Logan.

"They have illustrated once again that it makes business sense to invest and build in America and provide jobs in America. But they've also picked the right spot to do it," he said, noting the productive work force, governmental attitude and education infrastructure are all strong.

"I am looking forward to having this area expand and this business expand and become a major corporate citizen in Cache Valley, because this is the right place to be and you have the right personnel to make everything click together very positively."

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E-mail: bwallace@desnews.com