FREEPORT, Grand Bahama — ISLAND Outsourcers/itel-BPO Solutions on Friday held its official opening ceremony to commemorate its second contact centre, located at Grand Bahama in The Bahamas.

The Jamaican-based business process outsourcing service provider established its operation in Freeport in November 2013, signalling the start of an outsourcing industry in The Bahamas.

The new facility, located on West Atlantic Drive, offers advanced technology critical to meeting the demands of the outsourcing market, the company said in a press release.

Island Outsourcers/itel-BPO Solutions currently employs 65 persons at the new location and anticipates that growth will lead to an additional 200 job opportunities in 2014.

“As a budding global entity with a history of growth and ambition, expansion regionally was an expected next step for Island Outsourcers/itel-BPO Solutions,” Yoni Epstein, the company’s CEO said.

“Our Grand Bahama location is a showcase site for our organization. The facility exists in a location with advanced technology, an educated, professional workforce with close proximity and cultural affinity with the North America,” he continued. “This helps to provide the stability and reliability that our clients expect. This extension of our site and operational facilities also provide our clients with different site redundancies as well as help to strengthen our position as a global brand.”

The Bahamas is situated in the Eastern Time Zone, which enables the easy handling of call traffic without the need for off-shift or overtime hours. Additionally, Grand Bahama has many international accesses including direct flights from major cities, allowing clients easy travel time to visit the local facility, the company said, adding further that The Bahamas, by its linguistic similarities, well- developed infrastructures and location makes it an ideal outsourcing destination for North America.

The grand opening ceremony featured Epstein, company COO Troy Cotton, Bahamas site operations manager Darlene Bullard, and the general manager of the Grand Bahama operations, Alex Cafferata among other members of the Island Outsourcers/itel-BPO Solutions family. The Island Outsourcers executives were joined by several political dignitaries of the Bahamas, including Prime Minister Perry G Christie, Minister of Tourism Obadiah Wilchcombe and President of the Grand Bahamas Port Authority Ian Rolle.

Island Outsourcers/itel-BPO Solutions is headquartered in Montego Bay, Jamaica and currently employs approximately 200 persons regionally.