Location: Raleigh

Web site: www.atcombts.com

Number of employees in 2006: 52

Number of employees in 2007: 60

Number of jobs announced in 2006: 8

Employee training allocation (as a percentage of overall budget): 2 to 4 percent

ATCOM’s story: 2007 marks the 28th year in business for ATCOM Business Telecom Solutions, a communication solutions provider of voice, Internet protocol (IP), video, network carrier services and call-center technologies. The company helps clients plan, deploy, support and manage their systems, applications, and circuits. ATCOM currently has more than 5,000 customers in the Triangle, Greensboro and Charlotte.

Training vehicles: ATCOM places a high emphasis on employee training, providing managers with an opportunity to attend an intensive executive development workshop, a five-day off-site leadership program. All ATCOM technicians, customer-service representatives, help-desk technicians and project managers receive factory-trained certifications in its flagship product offerings, and the staff receives updated online recertification training updates and ongoing technology training. Through its Impact Sales Training program, all sales employees receive comprehensive high-impact sales training, beginning with a three-day boot camp and continuing with weekly and bi-annual industry workshops.