MANDEVILLE, Manchester – Two and a half years after setting up opertaions on Ward Avenue in this south-central town, business process outsourcing (BPO) giant Sutherland Global Services is about to expand operations here.

Sutherland Global’s country head, Odetta Rockhead-Kerr told Jamaica Observer Central by email that come October, Sutherland Global will move into a 60,000 square feet, two-storey building at Kingsland, two miles west of the Mandeville town centre, employing about 1000 people.

Currently, Sutherland Global employs 1500 people at the Ward Avenue facility.

The new location at Kingsland, which is now getting the finishing touches of extensive renovation, is owned by Guardsman Limited. It will be leased to Sutherland Global on a five-year basis.

Rockhead-Kerr, a 2017 Jamaica Observer Business Leader nominee, said Sutherland Global had decided to expand in Mandeville because of experiences since starting out here in 2015.

“Phenomenal!” she said in response to queries about Mandeville. “We have grown tremendously and our clients are satisfied and impressed by the quality of the output from our Ward Avenue location. We feel at home in Mandeville, and we will continue to invest in the wider community to make sure the impact of our operations reaches far and wide,” Rockhead-Kerr added.

“Since starting up in Mandeville, we have been very impressed with the talent, the work ethic, and the industry of our employees at our Ward Ave location. As a result of that we have grown from under 1000 to 1500 employees in little under a year — mostly from existing clients who have seen the results and want more. We continue to be committed to not just creating employment but also impacting the community from a social perspective, and we will soon be announcing a $6.5 -million education intervention programme in partnership with one of our clients to give back to the communities that provide and support this amazing talent pool,” Rockhead-Kerr said.

She said that “at this time” there were no plans for further expansion in Manchester. “This new location (Kingsland) is a major investment for us and underscores our confidence in the community. We believe in organic growth because we believe in sustainable business. We will grow this business from the ground up, just like we did on Ward Avenue, and in time look at other opportunities to expand further,” Rockhead-Kerr said.

She paid tribute to “partners Guardsman” and previous property owners Maxi and Faye Bell for “a tremendous job” in turning the Kingsland facility “into one of the most beautiful in Jamaica … designed to make the most of the cool Manchester weather and the lush greenery”. Rockhead-Kerr expressed confidence that “when we open… this will be one of the most beautiful BPO sites anywhere in Jamaica”.

Mandeville apart, Sutherland Global currently has Jamaican BPO operations at the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies, New Kingston and South Camp Road.