CLEARLINK Announced as 2010 Work/Life Awards Recipient

7 June, 2010

Salt Lake City, June 7, 2010 – Last week, CLEARLINK Technologies, a Utah-based integrated local marketing firm, was announced as a nationally recognized winner of the 2010 Work/Life Awards. Each year, after a stringent evaluation and application process, the Utah Department of Workforce Services presents this premier workplace excellence award to companies in three size categories: Micro, Medium and Large.

Lynette Rasmussen, Director of the Department of Workforce Services' Office of Work & Family Life, said the award gets harder to win every year. "The success of Work/Life Award-winning companies shows up in many forms, including improved productivity, customer relations, retention, recruitment and marketing," she said.

The award showcases each company's dedication to creating exceptional workplaces and businesses by effectively addressing employee work/life needs and striving to create and maintain a culture of equity and opportunity. For CLEARLINK, awarded in the medium size category, the achievement was long in the making.

Over the last few years, CLEARLINK has improved its workplace by fostering rewarding relationships, encouraging the exploration and completion of personal goals, and providing a thriving work environment. This year has been no exception. With the implementation of CLEARLINK University (CLU), an onsite continuing education program that provides classes geared toward professional and personal growth, the opportunities are only expanding.

The 2010 Utah Work/Life awards, exhibiting employer best practices, will be presented June 22nd in Salt Lake City and will provide an ongoing forum for the outstanding companies recognized to exchange ideas and collaborate on unique challenges.

"Hundreds of companies are nominated each year for the Work/Life Awards while a very few are actually recognized," VP of Human Resources, Cammie Cable, said. "We are honored to be a part of this elite group."

About CLEARLINK Technologies, LLC

CLEARLINK is an integrated local marketing company that works with several major home service brands such as DISH Network, ADT Home Security, AT&T, HugesNet Satellite Internet, QWEST and CenturyLink. CLEARLINK has been recognized by leading business publications and has been named to the vSpring Capital 100 v100 list, as well as the Inc. 500 list. CLEARLINK has also been ranked as one of the top 15 fastest growing businesses in Utah for three consecutive years by the MountainWest Capital Network. For more information, visit CLEARLINK’s website at http://www.clearlink.com.

CLEARLINK Sponsors MMA Fighter and Employee

7 June, 2010

Salt Lake City, June 3, 2010 – CLEARLINK Technologies, a Utah-based integrated local marketing firm, believes in its employees and is an avid supporter of not only their professional goals, but their personal ones as well. That's why when Robert "The Wrecker" Densley, a CLEARLINK employee and MMA fighter, approached CEO Phil Hansen for sponsorship, the answer was easy to give.

Densley will match up against opponent Brian "The Cannibal" Thomas for the WCFC II "Proving Ground" premiere fight night at the Rail Event Center, Saturday, June 5th, and CLEARLINK will be there, proudly supporting him. Although Thomas is undefeated in the cage as of yet, Densley is confident that he'll change all of that. "He's tough, but I'm faster than he is and I'm a little hungrier, too." he said.

Densley began his fighting career in 2002 when he won four amateur fights and became the second inductee into a local show's Hall of Fame. While boxing and wrestling didn't hold much interest for him in his early years, it hasn't stopped him. He's made up for what some might consider lost time by training hard and dedicating his mind and body to the sport.

"I train three to three and a half hours every night in preparation for a fight," he said. In addition to Jiu-Jitsu and boxing, Densley also incorporates high-elevation running into his practice. Currently, he is the only fighter in Utah to have fought in the World Extreme Cage-fighting (WEC), a sister promotion to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

"The opportunity to not only witness our employees excel both inside and outside of the workplace, but to be able to support them in those objectives as well, is something truly exciting," CEO Phil Hansen said.

At one time Densley was Utah's undisputed lightweight champion, if he wins Saturday night he will be well on his way to the top once again and CLEARLINK will be there to support him, every step of the way.

About CLEARLINK Technologies, LLC

CLEARLINK is an integrated local marketing company that works with several major home service brands such as DISH Network, ADT Home Security, AT&T, HugesNet Satellite Internet, QWEST and CenturyLink. CLEARLINK has been recognized by leading business publications and has been named to the vSpring Capital 100 v100 list, as well as the Inc. 500 list. CLEARLINK has also been ranked as one of the top 15 fastest growing businesses in Utah for three consecutive years by the MountainWest Capital Network. For more information, visit CLEARLINK’s website at http://www.clearlink.com.

Finalists announced for Utah's best places to work

24 May, 2010

Amanda Pierce - Deseret News - May 19, 2010 - The Utah Department of Workforce Services has announced finalists for the 2010 Utah Work/Life Awards, Utah's Best Places to Work.

The winners will be announced next month, prior to the Work/Life Awards Celebration on June 22.

The award honors companies that "strive to create and maintain a culture of equity and opportunity in the workplace," said Curt Stewart, spokesman for the Department of Workforce Services.

Finalists in the large category are 1-800 CONTACTS, Automatic Data Processing, CHG Healthcare Services, InterContinental Hotels Group and Nicholas & Co.

Finalists in the medium category are Ace Disposal, Barnes Aerospace, Cirris Systems Corp., CLEARLINK, CyberSource Corp., Equitable Life & Casualty Insurance Co., Futura Industries, Goldenwest Credit Union, Intermountain Financial Group/Mass Mutual, Juniper Systems, Marriott Vacation Club International Owner Services, Pepsi Beverages Co., Spillman Technologies, Tanner LC, ThomasArts and Workers Compensation Fund.

In the micro category, the finalists are Cirque Corp., Executech, Fehr & Peers, The Intrepid Group, Penna Powers Brian Haynes and the Utah Foster Care Foundation.

Clearlink adding 150 call center jobs this summer

24 May, 2010

Mike Gorrell - The Salt Lake Tribune - May 17, 2010 - Clearlink, a west Salt Lake City company that provides online and telephone marketing and sales services for a number of clients, is looking to hire about 150 people this summer, mostly for its call center.

Company spokesman Bret Fitzgerald said the expansion at 5202 W. Douglas Corrigan Way will allow Clearlink to do telephone marketing for AT&T, which it just signed as a client. Call center employees will sell AT&T's phone and Internet services, as well as its new visual U-verse system.

Sales positions will pay $11-13 per hour, plus commissions on each sale. Applications for sales jobs are available at http://clearlink.com, then clicking on careers. Resumes can also be sent by e-mail to resumes@clearlink.com. For staff jobs in marketing, business development and operations, e-mails should be sent to Fitzgerald at bret.fitzgerald@clearlink.com. The expansion will nearly double the size of Clearlink, which has 220 employees, including 165 in the call center, Fitzgerald said.

He said AT&T is the latest large partner to team with Clearlink, joining a list that includes Protect America, HughesNet Satellite Internet, Frontier, Qwest and CenturyLink. "We leverage the brand partner's name, logo and brand reputation and do unique marketing tactics--essentially on- and offline guerilla warfare marketing -- to generate a phone call from a consumer. The consumer calls our center, where we close the sale and send the installer from our brand partner to their home," Fitzgerald said. "Once the installer has completed his job, we essentially sell the customer back to the brand partner. That's where we make money."

Clearlink originated in 1999 as a company called Odyssey Web, which built and designed websites for companies. Six years ago, Odyssey Web merged with iDish, a company that sold home security and satellite dish systems online directly to customers, he said.

Accredited by the Better Business Bureau of Utah, Clearlink also lists itself as a member of the Salt Lake Chamber, Utah State Chamber of Commerce and the Association for Corporate Growth.

Winners lose big in fitness competition

14 May, 2010

Salt Lake Tribune - May 12, 2010 - CLEARLINK puts its money where its mouth is.

In an effort to encourage better employee health and help the community, the Salt Lake City marketing firm paid $10 to the Utah Food Bank for each pound of fat lost and each pound of muscle gained by its employees during a 90-day fitness competition.

The results: Trimmer workers and a $2,520 donation to the food bank, which will use that money to buy $12,600 worth of food.

The food bank also benefited when CLEARLINK employees put their newly acquired muscle to work last week sorting donations and packing boxes. One of them was James Katsanevas, who won in two men's categories.

"I knew I was out of shape," said Katsanevas, who works in the marketing department. "It's nice to have motivation."

The contest began in January and had 30 participants -- most of them employees and the rest spouses or significant others -- who each put in $200. The money was divided among the men's and women's winners in the categories of lowest body fat; highest percentage of weight loss; and total change, measured by the most weight loss combined with the most muscle gain.

Katsanevas stuck to a strenuous workout plan and ate five small meals spread out during the day to drop 40 pounds of fat and gain two pounds of muscle. He lost 18.5 percent of his total weight and cut his body fat from 25 percent to 7.3 percent.

On top of his health change, Katsanevas won $2,800, which he used for renovations on his house. He admits to eating ice cream his first day off his diet but says that was an aberration. "I plan to keep it up in the future," Katsanevas said of his healthier lifestyle.

So does Cecile Allen, who lost just 2 pounds overall from her slender frame but dropped enough body fat -- from 12.9 percent to 7.4 percent -- to take a prize. Already active, she pursued a personal goal to cut back on sweets.

Her significant other, employee Adrian Lazo, also cut out refined sugars and ate beans and fruit as a carbohydrate source. He didn't win in any of the categories but his 20-pound weight loss was its own reward.

The competition added a sense of urgency, Lazo said. "Obviously, it was a great incentive," he said. CFO Adam Mergist, who lost 20 pounds, said the "positive peer pressure" helped everyone. Some are still working toward personal goals. Ted Roxbury, director of online media, got down to 12.4 percent body fat and wants to lower that number even more, to 10 percent.

Ginette Bott, Utah Food Bank chief marketing officer, said the donation and help from the CLEARLINK employees were "phenomenal." The food bank is on track to give out 29 million pounds of food this year, she said.

CLEARLINK has an interest in having healthier employees but also wants to raise their awareness of community needs and the value of volunteer work, according to Bret Fitzgerald, vice president of business development. The fitness program will help workers even if they leave for other jobs, he said. "When they move on, we want them to be a better employee and a better person," Fitzgerald said.