Gordon “Butch” Stewart Launches Third Call Center in Grenada

Gordon “Butch” Stewart last week launched his third Caribbean call center - after Jamaica and St Lucia - in this Grenadian capital, promising technological sophistication and high-quality customer service.

Stewart also announced that his Sandals Resorts International (SRI) would be building an 8,000 square-foot conference center that would serve the entire island, noting that both the call center - or Sales and Marketing Center - and the conference center would bring additional employment to Grenada, following the opening last year of the Sandals LaSource Grenada hotel.

"At the start of the operations in April 2015, the center will employ 105 persons. Training has to begin immediately to ensure that we maximize employment for Grenadians. We have contracts with all the commercial airlines that fly to Grenada and we have the technology that will ensure the success of this call center," Stewart said at a launch luncheon at the Sandals LaSource.

He added that during the winter tourist season Sandals sold up to 8,000 air seats a week and it was critical for the call center to be up and running as quickly as possible.

Grenadian Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell applauded Stewart for adding the island to his Sandals empire and noted that Grenada was poised for substantial take-off.

"Jobs are being created and more will be created by the call center and the conference center. This is music to my ears," said Mitchell who also lauded the previous administration which had negotiated with Stewart to establish LaSource.

Former Tourism Minister Alexandra Otway Noel said Sandals had "catapulted Grenada into a new sphere" and had brought 13 wide-bodied aircraft and over 2,000 travel agents from North America who had never been to the island before. Her successor Yolande Bain Hosford, only three days in the job, also commended Stewart and the former minister.

Among those witnessing the launch were: Minister of Culture Senator Brenda Hood; Senator Nazim Burke; President of the Grenada Hotel and Tourism Association Jerry Rappaport; Chamber of Commerce President Ruel Edwards; Employers Federation President Dorset Cromwell and Bankers Association President Champer Rampersad-Barnes. Master of Ceremonies was Jimmy Bristol, attorney-at-law.

Source: The Jamaica Observer