Job fears as receivers take over NI call centre
Around 200 jobs were under threat tonight after one of Northern Ireland’s longest established call centres called in the receivers.
AnswerCall Direct, which operates out of Armagh, invited PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in as joint administrative receiver after hitting problems following the loss of contracts.
The company was established in Portadown in 1996 and provides inbound and outbound services to a variety of organisations in Northern Ireland, Britain and abroad.
Garth Carlow of PwC said: “Our appointment follows a period of difficult trading and loss of business for the company.”
He said the focus would be on “preserving the core business” and said a number of enquiries had been received about the business which would be pursued in the days ahead.
“Despite the difficulties facing AnswerCall Direct, more than 30 overseas and indigenous contact centres are now operating in Northern Ireland and the industry continues to grow,” said Mr Carlow.
AnswerCall Direct moved into a new £7.3m (€10.4m) contact centre in Armagh’s Edenaveys Industrial Estate in April – closing its previous smaller operation in Portadown’s Garvaghy Road.
The company received nearly £3m (€4.3m) in financial support from Invest Northern Ireland towards the setting up of the new centre.
At the time of the move the company pledged to create more than 400 jobs by 2006.
But in September it shed 40 jobs in Armagh following the withdrawal of a direct line inquiry contract.
The firm’s managing director, Kelsey Buck, was unavailable for comment tonight.
