Qualfon opens up room for 2,200 more jobs
-as Providence investment continues
After approximately 13 years in Guyana, Qualfon Guyana yesterday opened up its second building at its Providence Campus, East Bank Demerara, which is slated to create some 2,200 new jobs.
Speaking at the opening ceremony at the Providence Campus, Vice President of the Business Process Outsourcing company, Richard Brinson, said that the expansion is a testimony to its core values – to keep commitments. “We deliver on what we promise and with team spirit and with hard work we accomplish our goals,” Brinson said, while pointing out that the business’s goal is to become one of the largest call centres in the world.
According to Brinson, the second building which is 55,000 square feet will contain some 992 work stations, and at full capacity will open new job opportunities for approximately 2,200 persons. “The campus will eventually be 287,000 square feet and will be eco-friendly, has an interfaith chapel and also a health clinic,” Brinson said.
It was also reported to Stabroek News that the second building on the Campus cost approximately US$5.6 million to construct, and when completed, the final sum is projected at US$9 million. Factoring in the first building, which was commissioned in March 2015, and the third building which is expected to be completed next year, the total investment Qualfon Guyana would have made in the Providence Campus is expected to rise to US$30 million.
Reflecting on the company’s humble beginnings, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mike Marrow said, “13 years ago we leased a building… and we put a call centre in there… we hired a handful of employees and we got started and here we are almost 13 years later. Grown from nothing to a very, very modern, high-tech facility.”
Marrow said that while there are over 2,000 employees currently, he expects by the end of the year that they will gain 1,000 more, carrying the figure up to more than 3,000. “...None of that would’ve been possible without the help, dedication of the great people of Guyana and the Government of Guyana,” he said.
Speaking also at the event, Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin, congratulated the company for its success over the last 13 years. “This is a company that knows its business and is very in tune with the local environment and the local population as well,” Gaskin noted, while explaining that the company’s continued expansion directly represents its confidence in the country and its economy.
“This is an industry where there is a lot more space for expansion in Guyana and the government wants to see the space taken up by reputable operators, by reputable clients enjoying an environment that is conducive to progress,” he added, while stating that the Government of Guyana will be looking forward to having Qualfon Guyana in the Guyanese economy for a very long time.
Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes, also delivered remarks and congratulated the company for their expansion on behalf of President David Granger and the Government of Guyana.
“The entire Government of Guyana has been long impressed with Qualfon Guyana and the manner in which you conduct your business, contributing significantly to the personal lives of your employees and their families,” Hughes said, while stating that from the company’s humble beginnings in 2005, they have been impressive in the way they continue to contribute to the country as a whole.
Hughes said that if she were to make an in-depth analysis of Qualfon’s trajectory since they began, she would easily conclude that the company is not going to stop growing and diversifying “even after your third building is completed on this campus.”
Hughes used the opportunity to highlight some of the progress that her Ministry has been making in the ICT sector and said that the eventual technology advancement and increased education of persons around the country in the ICT sector will only make it easier for companies like Qualfon Guyana to expand to other regions around Guyana.
“This means more telemedicine opportunities across the country and online learning opportunities, less time waiting in government offices as more and more services we hope will be provided online. With this improved infrastructure it is my hope that companies like Qualfon will find it easier to expand into other communities like Linden and Berbice. The doors for further investment in the ICT sector are set to be flung wide open,” Hughes told the gathering yesterday.
While referencing the recently passed telecommunications liberalisation bill, Hughes said that the conditions for investment in any part of the ICT sector will be freed up in a few months, which will open the sector for more investment.
President of Qualfon, Christina Morris also made brief remarks on the company’s early beginnings in Guyana.