Local cable television provider Cable One is closing itsBrookhaven office and merging it into a larger headquarters inMcComb.

General Manager John Hilbert said the Brookhaven office at 208Highway 51 South will close by the end of October.

The four Brookhaven employees will join the seven employeesserving in the McComb office at 230 Fifth Ave., just off Highway 51in downtown. All the company’s Brookhaven employees are making themove, Hilbert said, and no jobs will be lost.

Consolidating the two offices in McComb makes financial sense,Hilbert said. He said the Brookhaven office, though smaller, cost$20,000 more annually to operate than the McComb office.

“Just like everyone else, this economy has taken its toll on us,too,” Hilbert said. “We felt like we can better service ourcustomers with this move. We’ll have more people manning thephones, and we can bring things down into different departments. Weanticipate not having such a long time to wait for a salesrepresentative.”

Hilbert said Brookhaven’s 3,500 Cable One customers will notlose any service from the move, as five local technicians in thecity already work from home and receive orders via onboardcomputers in their trucks. Additionally, customers will still beable to retrieve and deposit equipment at the company’s warehouseat 1527 West Industrial Park Road.

The local phone number, 601-833-7991, will remain inoperation.

Cable One is leaving behind three payment centers in Brookhavenso customers who pay in person won’t have to drive to McCombmonthly.

The payment centers are located at Wal-Mart Supercenter, AAACheck Service and at the warehouse. Hilbert said the paymentcenters do not accept cash.

“The only thing is pretty much you can’t come to a local officeand drop off cash,” he said.

Hilbert said customers’ monthly bills contain preaddressedenvelopes for mailing payment checks to Cable One. Additionally,the company is recommending its Brookhaven customers sign up fordirect pay, which directly deducts monthly payments from bankaccounts.

Hilbert stressed that Cable One is not abandoning Brookhaven,pointing out that such small communities are the backbone of thecompany’s success. With huge investments made locally forhigh-speed Internet and cable telephone services, he said Cable Oneis “not going anywhere.”

“The health of the company is fine, this move just solidifiedour service department,” he said.

Cable One serves approximately 10,000 customers in Brookhavenand McComb.