The Grand Bahama Port Authority, Limited (GBPA) and government officials announced Tuesday that Island Outsourcers will begin operations on Grand Bahama Island this fall.
As the Jamaican-based company expands its call centre services to Grand Bahama, career opportunities for 100 individuals will become available at the onset, with the possibility of further employment for 600 persons.
Island Outsourcers is a comprehensive, business process outsourcing (BPO) solution that manages contact centre and back office functions for local and US-based companies, with the UK and Canadian market in its sights.
As a BPO provider, they provide planning, workflow, real-time monitoring and reservation functions for their vendors/clients, many of whom operate within the travel and tourism industry.
“This is momentous for our island and country as a whole,” said GBPA President, Ian Rolle. “We look at the BPO industry as a huge supplier of jobs. It isn’t seasonal and as the world economy gets tighter and more competitive, this industry will continue to thrive.”
Rolle further revealed that after months of negotiations with GBPA’s Business Development team, Freeport was chosen as the ideal location for Island Outsourcers’ expansion due to its geographic proximity to the North American mainland and a free trade zone area boasting competitive costs for operation of a call centre in the English speaking Caribbean with costs that are 20 to 30 per cent lower than in the US, UK or Canada.
Minister of Tourism, Obie Wilchcombe said he is also pleased with the company’s entrance into the Bahamian market as part of his ministry’s plans to relocate its former Miami-based call centre to Grand Bahama.
“For a very long time we have aimed to bring this important and needed call centre to The Bahamas and to Grand Bahama in particular,” he said.
“We see Grand Bahama becoming the base of the Ministry of Tourism’s digital platform involving Bahamian companies and employing hundreds of Bahamians. Island Outsourcers brings invaluable experience and will enhance the new thrust for tourism growth and development in The Bahamas.”
Founder and CEO of Island Outsourcers, Yoni Epstein is optimistic about the move.
“From 2005 to 2008, the number of call agents in the Caribbean rose from 24,000 to 65,000. This growth rate is on target to rise to an additional 80 percent to over 100,000 agents, with revenues from BPOs in the Caribbean approaching $1.5 billion,” he said.
“We believe in The Bahamas and its potential and look forward to partnering with GBPA and the government in pioneering a vision to establish a local BPO industry for the growth and development of Grand Bahama.”
