[August 08, 2011] Former Touchstone CEO launches jobs website Tweet Aug 08, 2011 (Bristol Herald Courier - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Touchstone Wireless founder and former Chairman Allen Hurley has launched a free jobs website designed to help his former workers -- recently laid off by the West State Street phone refurbishing and repair company -- seek and get other local work. "It's part of a commitment to do everything possible to help the displaced workers at Touchstone -- who are truly talented and loyal people -- find new jobs and employment opportunities in the Tri-Cities," Hurley said of WhereJobsR.com, which went online Tuesday. The website, which already has nearly 400 listed jobs from an extensive range of area employers, can only be used by Touchstone's former 600-plus workers -- 80 percent of whom have been laid off since May, when new owner Brightpoint North America announced it would close the Bristol facility and move its work to other plants. Brightpoint plans to completely stop work from Touchstone by October -- nearly a year after the Indiana-based wireless support company purchased Touchstone in an $80 million deal. Hurley said that after Brightpoint's move to close Touchstone, he decided to develop a website that could be exclusively used by laid-off employees looking for new jobs -- and maintained by a staff that directly calls area companies and employers, asks if they have available positions and lists them according to category on the site. "I really felt we could put together a website that could be a highly credible, constantly updated resource that displaced workers could access," Hurley said. "What separates this website from other employment sites is that we're actively looking for available jobs by directly calling employers and asking if they have open jobs, and we've already been able to list an amazing number of available positions that way," he said. After registering with WhereJobsR.com, Hurley said, former Touchstone workers can enter the site by using their company ID numbers. From there, they can easily access the list of available jobs and click on links offering job-related guidance and tips. "We've already received so much support from area companies, community officials and others, just asking how they can help," Hurley said. "We'd love to get even more companies and employers on our list, and just letting us know what they've got available." Hurley said he has invested more than $50,000 to create WhereJobsR.com, and Brightpoint has donated a matching amount. "They didn't have to do it, but they wanted to do it," Hurley said of Brightpoint. "It's really gratifying that they've become actively involved in trying to help." Hurley said The Corporate Image -- a Bristol-based public relations and communications company -- also helped create WhereJobsR.com, which is tentatively scheduled to be available online for the next six months. [email protected] (276) 645-2512 To see more of the Bristol Herald Courier or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www2.tricities.com/. Copyright (c) 2011, Bristol Herald Courier, Va. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]