— Qualfon commissions new campus at Providence

By Zena Henry

QUALFON (Guyana) is likely to hire at least 50 Guyanese every week from now until Christmas.

The overseas-based Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) agency is offering more jobs and more developmental opportunities as it commissioned its second campus at Providence, East Bank Demerara on Wednesday.

Telecommunications Minister Catherine Hughes, Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin, diplomats, and other special guests celebrated with the company’s executive and senior managers, on their continued expansion.

On the sidelines of the event, Mark VanderPloeg, Site Director for the Providence Campus told Guyana Chronicle that he is hiring 1000 persons to complete Campus One.

Hiring commenced some six weeks ago and some 250 persons have been hired so far. Last week of some 300 persons interviewed, 100 were hired.

VanderPloeg said the original plan for the complex involves seven buildings to be completed by 2020, although the work is slightly behind.

By that time, at least 6000 Guyanese would be employed with the company.  Guyana is currently servicing seven of Qualfon’s clients involved in areas such transportation and telecommunication, among others.

Qualfon’s Vice President (VP) for Guyana’s operation, Richard Brinson told the gathering that the company’s Campus Two building adds 55,000 square feet and 992 more work stations to the establishment.

“This new facility creates an opportunity for an estimated 2200 plus jobs at double shift in at full capacity.” There is also an interfaith chapel and a health care clinic at the facility.

From their humble beginnings at Beterverwagting on the East Coast, 13 years later, Brinson said Qualfon is now a modern high-tech facility, to move from over 2000 to 3000 employees by year-end.

He said it took 10 years to build the first campus building, and two years to build the second one, and there is hope of building the third soon.

GREAT POTENTIAL

The VP said Guyana has the potential to have as much as 30,000 persons employed with the company; a dream he hopes the country shares.

Minister Hughes brought the Qualfon team congratulatory greetings on behalf of President David, who she said was out of the country.

She also expressed his blessings and gratitude for the company’s continued expression of confidence in Guyana.

Hughes said the government has long been impressed with Qualfon and its focus on Guyanese. She said their operation helps to take care of a large chunk of graduates and under graduate youths who were once unsure of finding a job and accessing the opportunity to further their studies.

The minister gave her Ministry’s commitment to improve Internet and broadband access across Guyana, so that more services could be brought online for companies like Qualfon to expand into other regions.

She said the government is creating the atmosphere for increased business and insisted that, “the doors for further investment in the ITC sector are set to be flung wide open”.

Minister Gaskin expressed that “Qualfon has been good to Guyana and will continue to be good for Guyana”. He too expressed gratitude that Qualfon continues to show confidence in the country.  He said, Qualfon has found a home in Guyana and is operating successfully. And while that speaks well for the company, “it also speaks well of Guyana and its ability to provide an environment in which international businesses can achieve success”.

Qualfon’s president, Christine Morris, thanked the government and Guyanese people for welcoming the company and helping it to be successful.

She said Guyana is a conducive location for business given its cultural make-up, the fact that English is spoken, the country is almost immune to natural disasters are pluses for a company that has to operate everyday around the clock.

A BPO provider is contracted by large companies to conduct non-primary business activities such as managing human resource, accounting and customer service among others. They provide behind the scenes services that enable other companies to be successful.