Is it just a coincidence that Charles Lindbergh trained and took his first solo flight at the airfield in Americus, Ga., and now the town is home to a vibrant and growing worldwide travel service?

Sumter County, while still largely an agricultural county with miles and miles of peanuts, pecans, and peaches, also is home to Habitat for Humanity International and our country's 39th President, Jimmy Carter. And now, Americus is home to yet another conduit to the rest of the globe.

Open just about any major city's Sunday newspaper, turn to the travel section, and chances are, you will see an add for 1-800-AIRFARE. For anyone with the urge to travel, this phone number is quick access to some of the lowest airfares possible, both here and abroad.

World Marketing Services, Inc., of Americus, is known to thousands of thrifty travelers as 1-800-AIRFARE. Tickets, which are contracted by the airlines through World Marketing Services, can be as much as 40 percent discounted, an enticing amount of savings whether you are headed for the south of France or northwest to Seattle.

Approximately 115 reservationists and ticket marketers are on-hand throughout the day at the Americus facility. Shifts of operators begin at 8 a.m. and run until 1 a.m. to accommodate travelers from different time zones. When business is "hot" — usually during the spring and summer — the company may receive as many as 3,000 calls a day.

"If Arthur Frommer or Clark Howard happens to mention one of our fares in their syndicated columns or elsewhere in the media, we see an even bigger rush," explains Paul Riley, the company's general manager.

"Our goal is to have that reservation and the ticket issued by 4 p.m. the day of the call. That way, our customers receive their plane tickets within 24 hours of contacting us. A good discounted price and customer service are what we are all about."

People are traveling more than ever and, with deregulation of the airline industry, savvy travelers know it is always worth the effort to seek out the very best price.

Serving this demanding customer base can be a challenge. Reservationists at World Marketing Services have to be adept at world geography, know the demarcation of various time zones, understand contract details, and have city and airline codes committed to memory. They also have to be adept at using their computers, keeping ahead of the customers' questions, and staying updated on flight changes.

"I love this job," says Theresa Kleckley, "and I never thought I'd be in the travel business, that's for sure." Kleckley, now a ticketing agent, has been with World Marketing Services' Americus office since its inception in 1998. Emily Banks and Lisa Black also have been at the company two years and are experts in their ability to field questions and make sales. In addition to airfares, the employees direct patrons to discounted car rentals at companies like Hertz and Alamo, as well as the Hotel Network.

Each employee undergoes a four-week training program, learning the ins and outs of how to answer the telephone effectively, impart accurate information quickly and succinctly, make the sale, and follow through on ticketing. Quick Start was there from the very beginning, helping World Marketing Services expand to Americus from Philadelphia. Quick Start training still is used by each potential employee.

" We showed World Marketing that we could prepare a workforce and help them find people from the community with the skills that the company needed," says Jon Johnson, president of South Georgia Tech.

"Not only did we work with Quick Start and the company on the initial training, we also provided World Marketing with a continuous pool of employee prospects through our Information Technology programs."

Adds Sparky Reeves, South Georgia Tech's vice president, Economic Development Programs, "We turned a classroom into a high-tech training lab. The lab had the telecommunications infrastructure to simulate World Marketing's planned work environment. The setting contributed greatly to our being able to deliver the training in a short time frame."

Mark Morris, vice president of marketing for World Marketing Services, attributes the caliber of employees his company hires to Quick Start's pre-employment training. He believes Quick Start has had an impact on how fast new employees get up-to-speed. This speed means significant cost savings for the company.

"Picking Georgia was easy. The Americus Chamber and the business development team really did their home-work as far as researching our industry and understanding our needs. And Quick Start 's services were among the things that attracted us most," Morris adds.