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Mayor George says he’ll go ahead with change in Wilkes-Barre’s backup ambulance providers

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Old fashioned breakfast at St. Paul’s in Dallas

WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The new Pepperjam brand isn&#8217;t quite brand new, but for Michael Jones, it&#8217;s the right choice for the local internet marketing and technology company he helped guide to powerhouse status.With the switch Wednesday, Jones said goodbye to eBay Enterprise Marketing Solutions and hello to a familiar name.&#8220;I thought in the end it makes sense to go back to &#8216;Pepperjam,&#8217;&#8221; said Jones, its chief executive officer.He was one of the guiding forces in the development of Pepperjam, which previously was acquired by GSI Commerce in 2009 and then by eBay in 2011 before being sold to private equity firms last year. It retained the eBay name even though there was no affiliation.&#8220;We got this rare opportunity to take this asset out of eBay and set it up as an individual business,&#8221; Jones said.Shortly after it struck out on its own last year, eBay Enterprise acquired Digital Net Agency. The newly renamed Pepperjam, located in the Innovation Center @ Wilkes-Barre on South Main Street, has plans to increase its workforce and expand in the downtown as part of the tech-centric Innovation Squared project.Kris Jones, who in 1999 founded the company that led to Pepperjam, was thrilled for his friend and former business partner Michael Jones.&#8220;Pepperjam represents entrepreneurship and innovation in our region,&#8221; said Kris Jones, managing director of KBJ Capital and founder of a host of companies, including ReferLocal.com.Under the leadership of Michael Jones, eBay Enterprise moved its corporate headquarters to Wilkes-Barre and has continued to grow, Kris Jones said. The company has 10 offices around the world.&#8220;It really speaks to what he&#8217;s trying to do: create jobs and put Wilkes-Barre on the map,&#8221; Kris Jones said.The Wyoming Valley isn&#8217;t primarily identified as a hub for tech-firms, acknowledged Michael Jones. &#8220;I think it gets lost sometimes,&#8221; he said.He said he&#8217;s been able to draw from the local colleges and universities and assemble the workforce and staff to make the company &#8220;one of the leaders in digital commerce.&#8221;<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Jerry Lynottjlynott@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott</shirttailMeta></div>

Old name is new again for Pepperjam