DialAmerica

Last updated
DialAmerica
Company type Private
IndustryTelemarketing
Founded1957
Headquarters Mahwah, New Jersey, U.S.
Key people
Chris Conway, President, CEO
Gerhard Lindenmayer, Information Security Officer
Number of employees
5,000 [1]
Website www.dialamerica.com

DialAmerica is a telemarketing company. It originated with the establishment of the first-ever call center by the Life Circulation Company in 1957. [2] In 1963, the company developed a sales campaign to support local sports teams and not-for-profit organizations. Time Inc. magazine spun off and sold their telephone subscription unit to Life Circulation Co. in 1976, forming DialAmerica Marketing. Time Inc. had developed a model of magazine sales using the telephone.

Contents

Since 1976, the company has expanded with services extending to areas including banking (GE Capital Bank, U.S. Bank, Fifth Third Bank, etc.) and internet services (including America Online and Compuserve). DialAmerica also extends services for over 300 magazine publications, [3] calling on behalf of large publishers like Condé Nast for magazines including Reader's Digest , People and Us Weekly .

History

In 1976, Time Inc. spun off and sold its telephone subscription unit to Life Circulation Co., forming DialAmerica Marketing, Inc. [4] The unit was purchased by William J. Conway Sr. Time Inc. had developed a model of magazine sales using the telephone, and the new company continued and expanded upon this approach.

Following its formation, DialAmerica expanded its services well beyond magazine subscriptions. The company's client base grew to include financial institutions (such as GE Capital Bank, U.S. Bank, and Fifth Third Bank) and internet service providers (including America Online and CompuServe). [5] DialAmerica also provided telemarketing services for over 300 magazine publications, calling on behalf of major publishers like Condé Nast for magazines including Reader's Digest , People , and Us Weekly . [6]

The company remained family-owned under the Conway family for over four decades; Arthur Conway served as Chairman and CEO, and Christopher Conway later became President and COO before eventually being named CEO. [7]

In 2004, DialAmerica filed papers with the Federal Communications Commission seeking a national exemption from do-not-call lists. [8]

Between February 2 and July 9, 2021, an unauthorized actor gained access to DialAmerica's computer systems, compromising the personal information of approximately 213,840 individuals, including employees' names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and employee identification numbers. [9]

In June 2025, DialAmerica agreed to pay $85,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) alleging race and sex discrimination and retaliation at its former Middleburg Heights, Ohio location. The EEOC alleged that a manager had falsely accused a Black female employee of misconduct to justify terminating her, and that the company retaliated after the employee reported the discrimination. As part of a two-year consent decree, DialAmerica was required to maintain anti-discrimination policies and provide mandatory training to human resources staff. [10]

References

  1. ↑ "DialAmerica Corporate Overview" . Retrieved 2019-02-22.
  2. ↑ Black, John. "The History of the Modern Day Call Center" . Retrieved 2018-02-23.
  3. ↑ "DialAmerica Magazines" . Retrieved 2019-02-22.
  4. ↑ "Our Story". Aucera. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  5. ↑ "DialAmerica Corporate Overview" . Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  6. ↑ "DialAmerica Magazines" . Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  7. ↑ "Christopher W. Conway – CEO at DialAmerica Marketing". The Org. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  8. ↑ "DialAmerica Seeks No-Call Exemption for Magazine-Charity Program".
  9. ↑ "DialAmerica Settlement". Murphy Law Firm. 2024-12. Retrieved 2026-02-26.{{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ↑ "DialAmerica Marketing to Pay $85,000 in EEOC Race, Sex and Retaliatory Discrimination Lawsuit". U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. 2025-06-24. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
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