SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland — Teleperformance, a global giant in the business processing outsourcing (BPO) sector, is increasing its footprint in Jamaica with the opening of a new branch in this western parish.

The new branch will offer jobs to 800 more Jamaicans with Teleperformance which already has a staff complement of 3,700 in the island.

Addressing the ribbon-cutting exercise for the new branch in Llandilo on Tuesday, Jake Becker, senior vice-president of operations and country manager for Teleperformance Jamaica, said the company’s team members and their families are very important to the organisation.

He said the high performance of the employees is based on the comfort of each team member; therefore, the decision to open a location in Westmoreland, where 400 of its employees travel from daily, was a way of making its staff more comfortable and productive.

The ribbon-cutting activity, to officially welcome Teleperformance to the parish, was attended by custos of Westmoreland Reverend Hartley D Perrin; Member of Parliament for Westmoreland Central George Wright; Mayor of Savanna-la-Mar Danree Delancy; and Moses Chybar, chairman of the Westmoreland Chamber of Commerce, among several other guests.

“This is a game changer for the parish of Westmoreland,”Perrin declared during his presentation.

“We have never had anything of this magnitude in the parish that will seek to employ young people in the parish. Westmoreland is known for crime and violence. There was a time when we were number one for [crime]. This facility is a beacon of hope and is a rising star in the west,” added Perrin.

He supported Delancy, who said the launch is a significant milestone for not only Teleperformance but also for the people of Westmoreland.

“It is a catalyst for economical growth for residents,” saidDelancy.

“The BPO sector is a key driver of the Jamaican economy. Contributing significantly to Jamaica’s GDP [gross domestic product]. This [new Teleperformance facility] shows confidence in our island Jamaica. [It] could have gone to any other country to do this expansion,” added Delancy.

Teleperformance has locations in more than 80 countries globally. Its Westmoreland location will be the second location on the island, and the company has plans in place to expand to the eastern end of the island shortly.