Mayor Bob Kilger said Wednesday he feels profoundly disappointed that another Cornwall call centre has decided to close up shop.
In an interview with Seaway News, Kilger said his"heart goes out" to 140 employees at the facility that will soon find themselves without a job.
"Anytime you hear about a closure it's always disappointing," he said. "Your first thought goes out to the workers."
Kilger said the StarTek closure won't make it difficult for the city to market itself as a home for future employers in the call centre industry - even though two of the major telemarketing anchors in Cornwall have now closed their doors.
Teleperformance made a similar announcement months ago.
But Kilger pointed to the addition of Atelka, a Quebec-based call centre which is setting up shop in the former Teleperformance facility on Cornwall Centre Road.
"(The local call centre market) is not as stable as you would like it to be," said Kilger. "But there is a new opportunity."
Atelka, which hopes to employ as many as 400 when it ramps up production, is hosting a job fair tonight, and Feb. 13 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Cornwall Civic Complex.
