WPP Sells Off 'Center Partners' Call Center Business

WPP's data investment management (DIM) arm has sold off its US call center business, Center Partners, to Mexico-based business process outsourcing (BPO) and call centre service provider Qualfon. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Based in Fort Collins, Colorado, Center Partners was co-founded in 1997 by David Geiger and Richard Keith, who sold the business to WPP in 1999. The firm provides contact center and web solutions for sales, customer service, technical support, outbound campaigns, and order entry / fulfilment, for clients in a variety of sectors.

As of December 31st, 2013, the company's revenues were almost $110m, and the firm employed around 2,500 people in six contact centres in the United States. Center Partners will join Qualfon, which is based in Monterrey, Mexico and has operations in New York, Texas, the Philippines, Guyana, Mexico, and China.

In a statement, WPP said its decision to divest the company will allow Kantar to focus on its core data investment management business.

Web sites: www.wpp.com , www.kantar.com and www.centerpartners.com .