FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

N.J. company’s close call helps establish Internet jobs network for 9/11 victims

DENVILLE, NJ October 1, 2001 — When terrorists destroyed New York’s World Trade Center on Sept. 11, two executives of New Jersey-based Olmec Systems, Inc., were scheduled for training classes at one of the twin towers

“Fortunately, circumstances kept both our vice president and our Manhattan sales representative from attending that day,” said Barry McGuire, co-founder of the fast-growing computer-network integration firm. “But the experience was close enough to help all of us put ourselves in the shoes of the victims.”

Two questions haunted McGuire: What would he and his employees do if their main office went up in smoke? And what could they do to help those who actually face that reality? He took his ideas to the Morris County (N.J.) Chamber of Commerce where he found Florham Park labor attorney Colin Page and several other business leaders who were asking similar questions. By November, an all-volunteer steering committee led by Page, of Pitney Hardin Kipp & Szuch, had created a no-fee job-placement network with a human touch. In a short time, the initiative became a model for businesses that want to pool their resources to find solutions in a crisis.

Called WTC Job Relief, the program links New Jerseyans who lost their jobs or suffered a loss as a result of the World Trade Center attack with jobs by using the Internet, a toll-free telephone number and a network of placement agencies and corporate human resources departments. Applicants fill out information forms directly on the Internet at www.wtcjobs.com or call 1-866-WTCJOBS to learn how to register.

“By December, we had 85 companies with job needs and 50 placement agencies to work with the people who need jobs,’’ said Bill Donnelly, chamber president, “and the number is growing larger every day.”. The volunteer service is unique because it does not charge a fee, it minimizes bureaucracy, and it maximizes an all-inclusive, humane approach to job seeking, said McGuire. “Applicants talk directly with sympathetic placement professionals who can refer them for specialized assistance,” he said. “For example, if you need to bone up on your computer skills or your interviewing technique, we’ve got placement agencies that are making their personnel and training facilities available. If you’ve been out of the job market for a long time and you’re not sure how to put a resume together, we can help you with that, too.”

Firms throughout North Jersey are playing important roles in making the program a success, said Donnelly. Olmec donated the telephone system, the personnel to screen and refer the calls, and the cost of the toll-free number. McGuire contributed the name – WTCJOBS – and conducted domain and toll-free number searches to ensure that WTCJOBS was not already in use. The Web site was provided by the Morris Plains office of Pfizer Healthcare, Inc. Employers and placement firms include Pfizer, Commerce Bank, BASF, First Investors, Novartis, NYCE, Prudential Financial Services, the Hartshorn Group, Panasonic, Nordstrom, Verizon Wireless, Aventis Pharmaceuticals, PNC Bank, GlaxoSmithKline, Allstate Insurance Co., American Home Products, Inc., Black Prince Distillery, GAF Materials Corp., Pinkertons, Inc., and Kings Super Markets. “We’re prepared to keep this service going through the next year so that all those New Jerseyans affected by the attack that need a job will have help getting back on their feet again,” said McGuire.

Olmec Systems, a computer network integrator servicing Northern New Jersey and Manhattan, specializes in integration of Microsoft based systems for small and medium sized businesses. Additional information can be found at www.olmec.com