Paragon Turns 25 in 2012!

As we face the end of 2011 and the beginning of 2012, it is time to say thank you to our clients and customers who have made Paragon's growth and development possible. In addition, while we continue to enhance our technology, the dedication and hard work of our staff members is the qualitative difference that sets our company apart. And finally, we work with many partners around the world to extend our reach on behalf of our clients and customers. As such, a heartfelt thank you is appropriate both to our employees and partners who always strive to go the extra mile by providing outstanding service. As a service business, we know that we are only as good as the last move we implemented for one of our customers and their families.

The last few years have been challenging to say the least. Uncertainty in the global economy has made it difficult to plan for the future. Even so, in 2011, we completed migration to our enhanced PRISM 2.0 automated system to track and report on all global moves. Thousands of hours were spent migrating existing clients and adding new ones to our new system. We put the mechanisms in place to bill in additional currencies. We added a Paragon Regional Service Center in France and expanded our current operations in the Netherlands to service the entire Benelux region, as well as grew our business in Spain, South Korea, Switzerland, Ireland, Britain, China and the U.S. We moved into our new 23,000 square foot office in Dallas/Coppell, Texas. We journeyed to the cloud, as we moved our primary data center to an off-site co-location center, while maintaining a completely redundant data center in our Dallas office. We enhanced our Disaster Recovery Plan to make certain that we would be operational in the event of any natural disaster. We added Paragon GeoImmigration to provide worldwide visa and immigration services. We substantially completed the process to provide FHA mortgages through GenEquity Mortgage, our national mortgage company. We implemented and participated in many informational webinars, conventions and seminars. And, while doing all of this, we successfully moved several thousand customers and their families around the world. It was a very busy year.

As we look to 2012, we are in discussions to establish Paragon Relocation boots on the ground in Brazil, Singapore and India, though other locations are also feasible. Plans are in the works that would allow GenEquity Mortgage to offer retail mortgage services to the general public, in addition to the corporate mortgage services we already provide. Additional enhancements will be added to our PRISM 2.0 system to allow for better workflow management and quality audits. Our Learning Resources department will implement additional training and a new certification program to make certain that Relocation and International Assignment Consultants are well prepared to implement our relocation services. More resources will be committed to social media and networking to advance our brand around the world. And, we will unveil PGR Home Caregivers, our newest subsidiary, to offer home care and various real estate services to senior citizens in the United States. And, again, we will do all of these things while successfully moving thousands of customers and their families around the world.

One thing is for sure: despite the uncertainty in the global economy, Paragon never stands still. As we celebrate our 25 year anniversary in January of 2012, we build on our past; but we always look to our future in response to our clients and customers. In addition to the services we provide in the United States, we will continue to see international growth across borders. Paragon continues to evolve as we extend our reach around the world.

Paragon's Customer Service

Enhancements to Customer Service 

Paragon is pleased to announce recent enhancements in customer service to improve the overall relocation experience. Included in the customer service improvements are a 24/7, global, technical support helpdesk for relocating employees and the addition of global, 24/7, emergency phone coverage for employees being relocated by Paragon's clients.

"We are excited at the opportunity to continue our tradition of providing excellent customer service. With the additional support of our technical help desk, as well as our extended phone coverage, we give our clients and customers the comfort of knowing that we are always available to assist them during their relocation," said Craig Selders, President of Paragon Relocation.

Additionally, expert technical agents are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, via a toll-free telephone number or e-mail to provide assistance on the following technical issues:

• Site availability
• Login issues
• Reset passwords
• Basic site navigation
• Browser compatibility support

These enhancements underscore Paragon's commitment to providing the best customer service in the mobility industry.

Paragon Relocation's Customer Reviews

Paragon always strives to provide excellent service that exceeds the expecations of our customers and clients. In that spirit, we are now highlighting, both internally and also on the Paragon Relocation Blog, the rave reviews that we have received from our customers each month.

Here are a few reviews we highlighted from this past month:

• "My Consultant's performance was Outstanding. Very professional and knowledgeable. She gets 5 Stars for her attention to detail, thoroughness, and "Can Do" attitude. Thank you."  
• "The service was perfect!"
• "My Relocation Consultant was very patient in understanding my needs and offered even 24 hour support. Followed up the items promptly and provided a good service."
• "It is a pleasure working with Jessica. She provides good customer service and is very responsive to my needs every time I reach out to her."

A financial problem that started in Greece has now spread to several other nations such as Italy, Ireland and Spain. The problem is like a virus moving throughout Europe. Even the giant European countries such as France and Germany are not unscathed. The problems have been created by debt. When Greece's debt was maturing, people realized that a large percentage of Greek debt was due. The debt was in the form of government bonds, which had been given mainly to key European banks, who had sold the bonds to investors. Suddenly, the investors did not feel confident that Greece would pay back their debt. The lack of confidence triggered a debt crisis, which is in reality a confidence crisis. As people talked, the lack of confidence gained momentum. More and more investors chose to get rid of their bonds. The banks that bought the bonds had to pay back the investors who had purchased the bonds from them, with virtually no guarantee that Greece will reimburse. If Greece failed to pay, the banks would collapse.

President of France Nicolas Sarkozy (L), German Chancellor Angela Merkel (C) and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso (R) chat during the EU summit in Brussels, Belgium, 09 December 2011.    EPA/BGNES

The EU leaders continue to meet, to develop treaties which they hope will increase confidence and stabilise the Union. David Cameron, the British Prime Minister, refused to sign the latest EU treaty, which has isolated Britain from the other European countries. But that, as they say, is another story.

Is it a good time to consider refinancing your mortgage? Absolutely! If you have been waiting for the lowest possible interest rates, they are now at record lows. The average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage fell to 3.94%, matching the all-time low reached in early October, according to Freddie Mac's weekly mortgage rate survey. Meanwhile, 15-year fixed-rate loans hit a new record low of 3.21%, surpassing the record set on October 6. Contact GenEquity Mortgage today to lock in the lowest rate.  

Visit GenEquity's website (http://GenEquity.com) to complete a quick online application.

Holiday Toy Drives 

Coppell, TX

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA

Paragon's Ervin Walker and Cris Santiago in Warrenville, IL

2011 Giving

Paragon, along with our employees, places high value on promoting and participating in various charitable activities. Throughout the year, Paragon employees have raised monies for numerous charities and each employee donation has been matched dollar for dollar by the Paragon Foundation. Here are just a few of the charities that have benefited from our 2011 contributions:

• American Red Cross
• Multiple Sclerosis Society
• The North Texas Food Bank
• The United Way
• Spark of Love
• Second Harvest Food Bank
• World Vision