COSTA RICA NEWS – StarTek, a leading provider of business process outsourcing services is leaving Costa Rica, closing its Heredia call center and laying off some 550 employees, according to MarketWatch.
“The difficult decision to close our Heredia site was made as part of our strategic plan to optimize our capacity and continue building upon the efficient solutions we provide our clients,” said Chad Carlson, president and CEO. “This decision was not due to performance of our employees in Costa Rica and we are grateful for their service to STARTEK and our clients.”
The Denver based company said it will be holding job fairs to assist employees find other jobs.
The layoffs begin on June 30. The last day of operation is planned for August 30, 2014.
In Central America, StarTek continues to operate in Honduras with two locations, in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula.
StarTek arrived in Costa Rica in 2010. Inaugurated by then vice-president of Costa Rica, Luis Liberman, the facility was the company’s 18th location worldwide. “We chose to expand into Latin America for several reasons,” said Larry Jones, then StarTek’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “In Costa Rica there is a large, well-educated, bilingual talent pool and a favorable business climate. This is why we included Costa Rica in our global expansion plans.”
