The factory is being set up at the site of a 20,000 square-foot former bottling plant in Castries - the capital city.  The company is expected to begin operating between July and August, gradually increasing its workforce to some 400 over the next three years.

In confirming the investment yesterday, Casserly, whose e-Services/Sitel Caribbean is headquartered in Montego Bay, stressed that the move to St Lucia did not signal a shift in focus away from Jamaica, where he said the bulk of the company's capital would still be deployed over the next few years.

"Part of our drive is to create a Pan Caribbean presence," he told the Business Observer.  "The group could reap much more value if it is seen as a regional company rather than just a Jamaican enterprise."

The factory where the business is being set up is owned by the Dubolay Bottling Company, whose CEO, Dunstant Dubolay, was minister of commerce between 1996 and 1997.  The Dubolay family is the franchise holder for Coca-Cola in St Lucia.

Casserly told the Business Observer that under the memorandum of understanding signed last week, e-Services/Sitel entered into a five-year lease arrangement for the factory, using a vehicle called e-Services Group St Lucia Ltd.

The Dubolays are responsible for renovating the factory, including equipping it with power and air conditioning.  "We will fit it out to our requirements," he said.

The move to St Lucia was effected after Casserly examined alternative prospects in Guyana, Antigua, and Barbados, and ultimately decided that St Lucia represented "the best match" based, he explained, on a range of factors including the workforce.

"We looked to Guyana, Antigua, Barbados and St Lucia, and looking at the St Lucian people and staff, we believe it is the best match."

Nevertheless, Casserly conceded that his company still faced "material differences" in the work environment of the tiny island, compared with Kingston, which he said had a much larger pool of skilled workers from which to draw.  But e-Services was prepared to "work through the gaps", according to Casserly.

While the move to St Lucia represents the biggest step to date in fulfilling the company's strategic objective of becoming a regional organisation, Jamaica, fundamentally remains at the core of the operation, Casserly stresses.  "Our main focus remains Kingston," he says.  "It is our main focus of growth with the commitment we have to our existent clients."

Last year, e-Services/Sitel grew its workforce by over a third to its present complement of 1,470.  Of this, 1,260 are located at the Montego Bay Freezone area, and the other 210 between Kingston and Naggo Head in Portmore, St Catherine.

The rapid growth in employment was driven in part by the securing of a contract with XM Satellite Radio, which immediately cut the number of empty seats at the MoBay centre to a mere 35.

"XM Satellite Radio, our latest client, commenced operation with Sitel Caribbean in November last year, so MoBay is full," Casserly told the Business Observer.  "We are down to 35 empty chairs."

Sitel Caribbean, and e-Services are related companies - sharing common ownership and directorship.

The investment in St Lucia is part of a mini-stampede by Jamaican businesses to the tiny island in the past year or two.  Other entrepreneurs now undertaking major investments in the island are: the Karl Hendrickson family, and Gordon Butch Stewart both in hotels, Richard Lake, in a Burger King restaurant, and Casserly.

"Once you have got your feet wet in Jamaica, it's easy to go into the rest of the Caribbean," noted Casserly, the current Business Observer Business Leader.  He was named Business Leader in April last year from seven entrepreneurs who were nominated, as part of the Jamaica Observer's annual celebration of entrepreneurism.

The St Lucian operation, located just 15 minutes from the airport, will likely provide service to two large clients that require very specific types of operation, according to Casserly.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/magazines/Business/html/20050118T210000-0500_73491_OBS_E_SERVICES_LTD_INVESTING_US_____M_IN_ST_LUCIA.asp