The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A Caribbean-based outsourcer yesterday said its Freeport-based unit will "grow by an additional 100 percent" after securing a contract to serve US-based utilities.

Formed in 2012, itelbpo has expanded its business process outsourcing (BPO) capabilities from its Jamaican base by establishing a growing presence in The Bahamas, Mexico and the US.

Initially known as Island Outsourcers, the company moved into Freeport in 2013 as Grand Bahama's first BPO operator when it won the contract to act as the Ministry of Tourism's call centre. It is also understood to be the business who Bahamasair's reservations department has been outsourced to.

itelbpo, which employs 150 persons in Freeport, specialises in handling customer queries through phone and digital services. It has 1,500 employees company-wide. "The Bahamas facility is expected to grow by an additional 100 percent, resulting from a newly-won contract that serves the utilities industry in the US," the company said in a statement.

"itelbpo's future plans include an expansion of its global workforce to 5,000 staff members within the next five years, including bringing its work-from-home model into the Caribbean. The planned expansion includes staff increases at its Freeport location, as well a continued diversification of the services offered there."