MACHIAS – The future of a pilot program launched in 2001 to lessen the economic blow brought by the closure of the nearby Cutler naval base is in the hands of the federal government.

Superlative Technologies is a call center that competes with seven other regional call centers to provide 40,000 Navy civilian employees with information regarding their benefit packages.

All federal employees have a benefit package that includes health and life insurance, as well as a retirement investment program similar to a 401(k).

Employees normally access benefit data via the Web, but when they need to speak to someone about making changes to their plans or have questions, they call Superlative Technologies.

“This was a pilot program that was to determine whether or not you could take folks who know nothing about the Navy or its benefit packages, provide them with intensive training, and put them on the phone to provide information to employees,” said Chet Childs, call center director, on Wednesday.

The program has been so successful that the Navy is expanding the Machias location to encompass all service centers, Childs said.

The pilot program proved civilians could be trained to do the job that Navy personnel had been performing, and so the Navy is turning all calls over to the Machias call center. The center is slated to begin fielding all 185,000 calls taken by the Navy on Oct. 1, requiring the hiring of eight additional employees.

“This is going to be an interesting project in this next phase, because it’s virtually going to be a Big Bang type of program,” Childs said. “Effective on that date – the Big Bang – we take on the entire Navy in one day.”

But it needs federal cash to make that work.

Superlative Technologies is counting on receiving $1.5 million in federal funding to keep its doors open. The money was recently approved by the U.S. Senate in an amendment to the annual defense appropriations bill, which may clear the Senate before the end of the week.

“Without it, we’re out of business,” Childs said.

U.S. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins have supported the program, which they helped to establish nearly two years ago. At the local level, the call center has provided the Machias area with improved technology and jobs.

The center has a direct computer connection to the government’s computer system in San Antonio, allowing access to naval employees’ benefits.

“As a byproduct of that, we’ve been able to bring information technology capabilities that wouldn’t be here otherwise,” Childs said. Wireless Internet access is now available in some areas of Washington County, and Childs hopes it will soon be available countywide.

Many people in the area are unaware of Superlative Technologies, which is located behind the Washington County Courthouse, because it is a call center, not a retail business, said Chris Spruce, community development coordinator for Sunrise County Economic Council.

“It is encouraging that they are going to expand and that they did get these new clients,” he said Wednesday. “I think it speaks to the quality of work that they have done and continue to do on a daily basis.”

Although the center’s growth is not guaranteed, Spruce is pleased with the steps being taken to restore jobs to the area that were lost when Cutler closed its doors.

The House passed its version of the defense appropriations bill on July 8. After the Senate passes its version, the two bodies must agree on a version to send to the president.