MONTEGO BAY, St James — President of the Business Process Industry Association of Jamaica (BPIAJ) Gloria Henry is calling for an express ferry service between Freeport and downtown Montego Bay for the over 12,000 persons who are employed in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector in the Freeport area.

“I am calling for an express ferry service to support the movement of thousands of BPO and other workers from Freeport to downtown. On a day-to-day basis it would provide an alternative means of transport and help to ease the mounting traffic issues the businesses, workers and residents in Freeport are facing,” Henry argued.

She suggested that members of the transportation sector pool their resources to make the ferry service a reality.

Henry was speaking at the official opening of National Pen, a subsidiary of Cimpress, the parent company of Vistaprint.

Mayor of Montego Bay Councillor Homer Davis, who welcomed National Pen to the resort city, called on members of the BPO sector to invest in housing in an effort to provide badly needed accommodation for workers in the sector.

“In order to sustain the continuation of workers, there needs to be more dormitory preparation. In other words, we have a plant for example in Montego Bay, and you expect to employ 2,000 people. Where are the people going to live?” questioned Davis.

“So in looking at expanding the sector, there needs to be a concerted, serious look, to say how we are going to house these people who are employed here. So, players in the industry, I think that’s a way to look.”

Henry reflected that National Pen’s sister company, Vistaprint has been successful both locally and internationally.

“Fifteen years ago in 2003 the Montego Bay Free Zone accommodated an investor who was setting up his very first contact centre. This was a small 30-employee centre, that quickly grew into a 20,000-square-foot space and expanded to the point, where the company bought lands and built its own facility at Barnett Technology Park,” the BPIAJ boss noted.

She further revealed that two years after setting up in Jamaica, the company launched its initial public offering (IPO) and began trading on the Nasdaq exchange.

In welcoming National Pen to the Montego Bay Free Zone, she expressed confidence that they will also be successful.

“National Pen has its own world-class definition as a provider of personalised marketing solutions. We are very happy that National Pen has chosen the Montego Bay Free Zone to launch their site and I want to assure you that a tremendous bounty of blessings will follow you in this decision,” said Henry.

Mayor Davis also saluted the company for setting up shop in Montego Bay and the 190 people that they have so far employed.

“On behalf of the city of Montego Bay, I want to thank the management of this company for taking this bold decision to do business in this part of Jamaica, and for the already 190 jobs that you have provided for our residents,” Davis said.