JULY 19, 2007

Renovation work at the Jackson County PLUS Office finished earlier than expected so the office now is open and ready to provide area customers with new services and greater convenience, Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land announced today.

The office at 1082 Jackson Crossing in Jackson closed Monday, July 16, for renovations to convert it from a standard branch office into a new PLUS office. It was expected to re-open Monday, July 23.

"It's great to see Jackson County residents have early access to the area's first PLUS office," Land said. "Customers throughout the state consistently say how much they like the expanded hours, added staffing and other features that make their visit a quick, pleasant experience."

PLUS offices provide several enhanced services, including payment by Discover credit card at the counter, expanded Wednesday hours from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., a Self-Service Station for tab renewals, which the Jackson County PLUS Office will receive in the near future, instant titles and the ability to purchase your own driving record on site.

The creation of the Jackson County PLUS Office is part of the 2007 phase of Land's Branch Office Modernization Program. The goal is to provide customers with state-of-the-art services while containing expenditures. The program's emphasis on investing in people and services, and not "bricks and mortar," has allowed the Department of State to minimize costs by using existing facilities and materials whenever possible as well as preserve employee jobs.

The program was launched in April 2004 and resulted in the development of 23 PLUS offices and five SUPER!Centers. Customer satisfaction has consistently been high thanks to the modern, convenient services and enhanced efficiencies these offices provide. SUPER!Centers offer the same services as PLUS offices as well as Saturday hours and other features.

During the program's 2007 phase, which will be completed later this summer, eight PLUS offices and one SUPER!Center will be created. In 2008, three more PLUS offices are scheduled for development.

For more information about branch office locations and services, visit the Branch Office Locator at www.Michigan.gov/sos.