Cox says it is combining its Baton Rouge-Lafayette offices with its New Orleans operations to create one system spanning across South Louisiana. Company officials say the merger will not lead to any office or retail closings. What effect the merger will have on employment is unknown. Ann Ruble, a Cox spokeswoman, says the company has been merging some back office operations for a while now. When Cox merged its Baton Rouge and Lafayette offices in 2006, Ruble says there was a “slight increase” in the number of employees because of the additional customers.
Jacqui Vines will head up the Cox Louisiana operations, which will have 1,700 employees and 500,000 customer households. This will be the third-largest Cox operation in the nation. “Geographically, this made sense because the offices are all so close together,” says Ruble. The deal gives Cox Louisiana more purchasing power and greater stability.
