Leading directory firm, Yell has had its new £8.5 million Belfast telesales centre officially opened on Thursday.

The centre, which represents significant expansion in Northern Ireland for the international directories business, was officially launched by Professor Fabian Monds, chairman of Invest NI, who helped fund the expansion.

It currently employs 40 telesales consultants at the centre, selling classified advertising to new customers throughout the UK across its products and services including Yellow Pages and Business Pages directories, Yell.com and Yellow Pages 118 24 7.

Prof Monds, who was welcomed to the new centre by Steve Chambers, Yell’s UK chief commercial officer, said: “Securing this investment by Yell, a world-class directory business leader in telephone and internet directories, is a tremendous boost for our drive to encourage more international companies to set up in Northern Ireland.

“Yell’s choice of BelfastThe investment is a very significant endorsement of Northern Ireland as a base for companies working in telephone sales and marketing. This istelecom network services, a growth industry worldwide, and is already providing well-paid jobs for people from all parts of the city and further afield. We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with Yell in the further development of this new centre.”

Supported by financial assistance from Invest NI, management at Yell said it plans to expand the telesales operation in the next three years with capacity for accommodating around 140. The centre is expected to become a key part of Yell’s UK telesales network, which currently employs more than 700.

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