Sitel Caribbean CEO Patrick Casserly yesterday confirmed an October 2003 Business Observer report that his parent company, E-Services Limited, would be setting up a contact centre in St Lucia.

But Casserly stressed that the operation in St Lucia represented a diversification of his business rather than any attempt to move away from Jamaica.

"We expect to be operational by Q4," he told the Business Observer.

The 200-seat centre will be located in a leased facility at Vide Bouteille in the island's capital, Castries. The 15,000 square-foot building is owned by the BuBoulay Bottling Company.

The Montego Bay-based Sitel has been on a rapid expansion in Jamaica since it began operating in 2001. It will begin another operation at a 50,000 square-foot facility in St Catherine soon and expects to employ 1,600 persons by mid-year.

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