I would like to apologize for an error I published in a previous blog post. I was under the mistaken impression that the couple of call centres in Fort Erie only employed a dozen or so people. I was wrong and I was corrected today with the announcement that one of the call centres is slated to close.
"A call centre that had employed more than 100 people – and just a year ago had plans to expand up to 300 – is packing up shop.
U.S.-based Infocision, which opened its first Canadian location in Fort Erie in September 2011, has notified its remaining employees and Town of Fort Erie officials it’s closing."
Bullet News Niagara
You might remember the big deal that was made when the call centre opened in 2011. It was announced that there would be expansion to 300 employees. As the announcement was made today, the call centre currently has 65 employees.
This latest shut-down seems to be the result of a lost contract with Rogers Wireless, but it does show that our local EDTC has added another failure to its long list of failures. Jim Thibert was more than willing to take centre stage when the call centre opened, so he should accept partial responsibility that it is now closing.
We wonder what he'll say when another large retail outlet closes as rumoured and a large employer in Fort Erie cuts back and begins lay-offs of employees.
And the bleeding continues.
And Mayor Martin's response: (redacted from subsequent articles)
"We go to the province to try and look for ways for them to help us, but they don't seem to be listening or caring at all," he said. "We need some help from the province to help us move forward."
Niagara Falls Review
Doesn't anyone else think that it is time for a whole new EDTC team and a whole new approach to economic development for Fort Erie?
(Oh, I fully expect the Usual Suspects to find a way to blame the four councillors for this loss.)
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 101
"A call centre that had employed more than 100 people – and just a year ago had plans to expand up to 300 – is packing up shop.
U.S.-based Infocision, which opened its first Canadian location in Fort Erie in September 2011, has notified its remaining employees and Town of Fort Erie officials it’s closing."
Bullet News Niagara
You might remember the big deal that was made when the call centre opened in 2011. It was announced that there would be expansion to 300 employees. As the announcement was made today, the call centre currently has 65 employees.
This latest shut-down seems to be the result of a lost contract with Rogers Wireless, but it does show that our local EDTC has added another failure to its long list of failures. Jim Thibert was more than willing to take centre stage when the call centre opened, so he should accept partial responsibility that it is now closing.
We wonder what he'll say when another large retail outlet closes as rumoured and a large employer in Fort Erie cuts back and begins lay-offs of employees.
And the bleeding continues.
And Mayor Martin's response: (redacted from subsequent articles)
"We go to the province to try and look for ways for them to help us, but they don't seem to be listening or caring at all," he said. "We need some help from the province to help us move forward."
Niagara Falls Review
Doesn't anyone else think that it is time for a whole new EDTC team and a whole new approach to economic development for Fort Erie?
(Oh, I fully expect the Usual Suspects to find a way to blame the four councillors for this loss.)
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 101