One of Jamaica’s leading business process outsourcing (BPO) companies itelBPO Smart Solutions is currently in expansion and growth mode amid uncertainties caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The company which is currently operating from six different countries expanded into the Caribbean island of St Lucia last year, despite the pandemic, and in less than six months of its new site’s launch has more than tripled its team size.

Addressing a recent virtual briefing, the company’s chairman, founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Yoni Epstein argued that with a meltdown in the Philippines BPO industry, the St Lucia investment is expected to pay off.

“A lot of companies have realised that they cannot put the majority of their eggs in the Philippines basket. I think many countries across the Caribbean and Latin America region are going to benefit from itelBPO. We were early into St Lucia and I think that is going to pay great dividends. I think Jamaica is going to continue to grow,” Epstein said.

“I do foresee in the short term more opportunities for this region. There are many people that we have spoken to who have said that they stop placing businesses in the Philippines. So, it has to go somewhere and I think that this is a great region for it,” he added.

The Philippines with its high rates of literacy and English-language proficiency has long enjoyed a reputation as the contact centre capital of the world. The BPO sector is currently the second main driver of the economy, generating more than US$25 billion in annual revenue.

The Philippines has more than one million jobs in the industry and throughout the pandemic, they have only been able to operate at 10 per cent capacity.

Epstein said St Lucia is similar to Jamaica in terms of it being a Caribbean island with a long history of hospitality.

“You can tell that St Lucian is very fitting for an industry like the business process outsourcing industry. It is one where there is a very large skilled labour force. It is close in proximity to our major markets in the United States and they have great experience in the service industry. So, most everything else that we need them to know, we can teach them as we come in to provide jobs,” Epstein said.

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed in St Lucia in late 2019. Despite the onset of the pandemic, the company continued to press on with its expansion plans.

A few months later, itelBPO was launched in July of last year with 30 employees. Today, the company has over 500 employees and is currently pushing towards 750 in the first tranche as it establishes a second facility.

Epstein argued that by the end of 2021, they hope to have between 1000 and 1,200 full-time employees in St Lucia.

“We have seen lower absenteeism, the business has been able to operate very efficiently even as we continue to grow within the country which has made our team members happy, it has made our clients happy and it has made our business in St Lucia successful thus far,” said Epstein.