ICT Group Closes Erie Facility

In the US, CRM outsourcing firm ICT Group has closed its Erie, Pennsylvania call centre in a move which it says has been prompted by the 'sluggish economy'. As a result, around 100 interviewers and managers have been made redundant without notice.

Last Tuesday, staff were informed that while they will not receive severance payments, the firm will not contest claims to receive unemployment benefits. A message on the site's answering machine explains that the facility is closed and directs employees to the unemployment office for benefits information.

Last spring the company reported a first quarter revenue drop to $108.7m from $115.2m in Q1 2007; and in the third quarter of 2008 the figure was $108.3m compared with $113.9m a year earlier.

At the time, Chairman and CEO John Brennan said that even though revenue was slightly below expectation, he believed that the firm had 'ample liquidity' to fund its business.

Newtown, Pennsylvania-headquartered ICT Group has more than 40 operations centers throughout North America, Europe, Latin America, Australia, India and the Philippines.

The firm closed a call centre in Woodstock in May 2007.

Web site: www.ictgroup.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.