Newport employer to close facility, hopes to employ most workers remotely

NEWPORT — A large call-center employer in Newport will close its building soon. 

The company hopes to keep as many employees as possible working remotely, a development official said today.

The RDI Marketing facility will be closing on August 13. 

Employees with the internet capacity to work from home will be encouraged to do so, Northeastern Vermont Development Association Executive Director told Vermont Daily Chronicle today.

Sen. Russ Ingalls, a businessman and first-term state senator representing Essex-Orleans County, said today RDI, a telemarketing company, told a spokesman for the landlord that “they are leaving because they can’t hire anyone, no-one wants to work, they can’t get anyone to come back to work….and [relatively few] employees have reliable enough internet to work from home.” 

Snedeker confirmed the building will close soon, but said the company and the State of Vermont hope to retain most of the employees with a remote-working plan. 

The company hopes to find a workspace for the employees without adequate internet connections. 

The website SICCODE.com lists RDI jobs as “low-paying.” 

Efforts to reach RDI, both at its Newport location and its corporate office in Ohio, were unsuccessful. 

The federal government’s $300/week unemployment pay for workers laid off during the pandemic expires September 4. 

The State of Vermont pays additional employment benefits to those who qualify. 

Ingalls said he has been in contact with state officials over the weekend about the emerging closure of the facility. 

Based on comments from his source, he expressed concern about the viability of the jobs when the facility closes. 

RDI was honored with a state award in 2017 for its record of hiring people with disabilities.

This story was written by Guy Page and appeared in today’s edition of Vermont Daily Chronicle.