Mark Wilson knew first-hand what great employee morale - or the lack of it - could do to a business. For 16 years, he managed call centers in North Carolina for Dun & Bradstreet, where disgruntled workers who felt unappreciated made it difficult to establish an upbeat, positive work place. The result was an almost 60 percent turnover in staff.

"I thought if I ever got the chance to have my own business I would want people to stop thinking of work in a negative way," Wilson said. "I wanted to create a family."

About four years ago, when D&B began outsourcing many of its call center jobs, Wilson sold them on the idea of starting a private company to supply their support needs. He pulled together the financing, leased 10,000 square feet of office space in a business park off of I-575 in Woodstock and opened the doors of Ryla Teleservices (named for his son Ryan and daughter Lauren).

From a modest beginning, the company has grown to about 240 employees. Recently, Wilson bought adjoining office space and doubled the size of his operation to handle the volume of business.

Ask Wilson just what Ryla does and the official answer is "data collection, validation and customer contact." That translates to a team of employees stationed at computer terminals and telephones who contact hundreds of clients each day with sales, follow-up and order-taking calls. D&B is one of Ryla's biggest clients; others include LexisNexis and World Changers Ministries.

"These are business-to-business calls," Wilson said. "We're not calling people at home and interrupting their dinner!"

Though the work is almost identical to what Wilson oversaw in his corporate career days, the atmosphere, morale and tone of Ryla is drastically different from similar companies. Wilson has made it such a desirable place to work that his turnover rate averages between 20 percent and 30 percent.

"We do things to make people feel good about themselves and the job we do," Wilson said. "When a person comes to work here, we make this the best job they've ever had."

The signs that there's something different going on start at the front door, where an "Employee of the Month" sign reserves a prime parking space for one worker. There's a suggestion box and copies of the company newsletter on the reception counter. Motivational signs ("Be someone you'd be proud to know") are posted throughout the work area.

Beyond the outward signs, Ryla offers benefits and health coverage to its 180 full-time employees. Financial planning seminars and classes on how to buy a home are held during lunch hours. An after-hours aerobics class is held in an empty storage room.

Wilson has an open-door policy that encourages employees to talk directly to the boss about their concerns. The management staff, including Wilson's wife, Shelley, often walk through the building, addressing workers by name.

Most importantly, says Wilson, there is a definite career path.

"That's a big selling point," he said. "We make 98 percent of our promotions from within. We want the new people to have gone through the ranks first."

Two Ryla programs that get employees excited are the Acts of Kindness Dollars - oversized faux dollars bearing Wilson's mug that are given to employees who have performed any sort of good deed. At the end of the month, the one with the most dollars receives a reward; one recent prize was a free weekend stay at Lake Lanier Islands Resort.

And then there's the Improve the Groove challenge to enhance productivity. Each month, the employee with the highest productivity earns a significant reward. In June, Aminah Ziyad-Laye received $1,000 toward her rent.

"I had to go above the usual productivity standards, on the number of daily calls and the number of products I sold," Ziyad-Laye said. "My husband and I are working on buying a house, so the money was great."

Ziyad-Laye started working at Ryla eight months ago after spending a few days there as a temp worker.

"The thing I like best is the relationship between the owners and the employees," she said. "[The owners] know each person by name. They're approachable. They keep us informed about what's going on - where the growth and the potential are. That sort of information isn't usually shared unless you're part of top management."

Wilson also designed a work environment that's bright, quiet and open. Cubicles are set up in rows perpendicular to the giant plate glass windows across the front of the building. A break room is outfitted with refrigerators, coffee makers, microwaves, vending machines, tables and chairs.

"Most call centers are like dungeons," he said. "I purposely made the aisles wider and the space brighter."

As positive buzz about Ryla has spread, Wilson finds it's not difficult keeping jobs filled. But he also recruits through area churches and the state Department of Labor.

"I've also set up a few partnerships with the area high schools to develop a stable part-time staff," Wilson said. "The kids have to maintain a certain grade point average to work here, but they're excited at the idea of working in a real professional environment where they can earn prizes and incentives instead of working at McDonald's."

Wilson's demand for an upbeat work environment isn't driven just by the need to succeed, though business is his top priority. He also sees his work as a way to give something back to others.

"I grew up in Arkansas, but was able to move away and go to college," he said. "But that was the exception; not the rule. I'm sincerely interested in helping other people get ahead. I'm using my own life experience to help others."

When Christina Wagner heard about openings at Ryla last year, she jumped at the chance to leave her manager's job with a fast-food chain to work in an office where full-timers average between $8.50 and $10 per hour.

"I wanted to do something to enhance my business skills," she said. "They trained me. And most importantly, they take care of their employees. It's very different from other companies where I've worked. I' getting married next year but I'm planning to stay here even if I have to drive far to get here.

Ziyad-Laye is already logging lots of miles in her daily commute from Decatur to Woodstock.

"That's how much I love Ryla," she said. "But it's not just a job; it's a family."