Saint-Gobain Abrasives Opens New Customer Service Center in Stephenville.

STEPHENVILLE, Texas -- Saint-Gobain Abrasives' new Customer Service Center was opened on February 11th in a ceremony attended by state and local dignitaries at 2270 W. Washington St. The new Customer Service Center, an 11,000-square-foot addition to the company's existing facility, employs approximately 100 people. The company's total Stephenville employment is about 600 people. E[acute accent]Texas Secretary of State Roger Williams and Jerry Patterson, Commissioner, General Land Office, flew in for the event and praised the company for its continued commitment to the economic well-being of the area. Other dignitaries included: Sharla Davenport, Economic Regional Director, North Texas; Sid Miller, State Representative; Mark Kaiser, Stephenville City Manager; Stephenville City Council members Robert Burns, Bill Corbin, Joe Cude, Ed Horton, Andrew Johnson, and Todd McEvoy; County Commissioners Doug Everhart, Randy Lowell, Jerry Martin, and Lynn Tidwell; and District Judge Don Jones. Officials from Erath County, and Comanche, DeLeon, and Dublin also attended. E[acute accent]Saint-Gobain underscored its commitment by having its key North American executives on hand. The company's contingent was led by Jean-Francois Phelizon, President and Chief Executive Officer of Saint-Gobain Corporation, and Benoit Bazin, Vice President, Abrasives North America and Bonded Abrasives Worldwide. Members of the company's North American Abrasives Management Committee also attended. E[acute accent]Kathi Flottman, Manager of Customer Service led the dignitaries and company executives in the ceremonial ribboncutting. E[acute accent]Saint-Gobain's Jean-Francois Phelizon said that the new Customer Service Center is crucial to the future success of the company's abrasives business. Sales and Marketing Vice President Mark Rayfield further emphasized the importance of the new center saying, "We need the Customer Service Center to respond to the changing dynamics of the abrasives industry. The efficiency and simplicity of the supply chain continues to become increasingly more important in our customers' buying decisions. In order to fully leverage the widest range of products and brands in the abrasives industry, we need to allow our customers to make one phone call, order everything he needs, and have his order treated quickly and efficiently by someone who understands his needs and his business." E[acute accent]Rayfield said the company has an especially dynamic and talented group of people, who are totally focused on the customer, at the Stephenville Customer Service Center. "That focus," he said, "is going to make a big difference in the years ahead." E[acute accent]Saint-Gobain Abrasives is the leading worldwide supplier of abrasives products -- coated abrasives (sandpaper), bonded abrasives (grinding wheels), and superabrasives (grinding wheels for high-precision applications). E[acute accent]In addition to abrasives, Saint-Gobain is a leading producer of high-performance plastics, industrial ceramics, reinforcements, building materials, insulation, piping, glass packaging, and flat glass. One of the top 100 industrial companies in the world, Saint-Gobain had sales of approximately $40 billion in 2004. The company has more than 180,000 employees in 46 countries.