By Chris Hardy

BRECHIN IS to set get a call centre providing up to 60 jobs.

The company behind the move, Journeycall Ltd, is in advanced discussions with Angus Council with a view to leasing premises at Brechin Business Park from January next year. Recruitment is under way.

Angus Council have confirmed the discussions and said that although nothing had been signed and sealed, there was no reason why the deal should not go ahead.

Journeycall opened its first call centre at Laurencekirk in January last year and has seen the number of staff increase from just eight to over 60. The company provides train and bus information and has recently won a major contract from Transport for London.

“We specialise in public transport and our success has been due to the fact that we give fast, reliable information in a friendly way using travel advisors who are trained in finding their way around the UK’s train and bus networks,” managing director Quentin Macfarlane said.

“We find that a Scots accent definitely helps, although we have good staff from other parts of the UK.”

The company also sells rail tickets over the phone and has set up a new unit to mail out travel documents to callers.

“The processing and mailing of rail tickets and travel cards is a growing part of our business and is one of the reasons we have decided to open a second centre,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“We are close to capacity at Laurencekirk and with more contracts in the pipeline we need to increase our capacity from the present 24 desks. Our new operation at Brechin means that between the two centres we will be will be able to answer up to 6000 calls a day, double the present level.”

Staff are being recruited and will work at Laurencekirk initially with some transferring to Brechin in January.

Journeycall hope the deal to lease half the 5000 sq ft advance unit in the business park will be completed by mid-September and if business continues to grow there will be the option of occupying the remainder.

“We already have several staff who live in the Brechin area and they have found ways and means of travelling the few miles up the A90 to Laurencekirk,” Mr Macfarlane added.

“Ironically the bus service is not especially good so we’re trying to get people to share cars, not least because it is more environmentally friendly. Where possible we try to arrange the shifts so that people from the same area are on duty at the same time.”

The company also provides telesales for megabus.com, the low cost inter-city bus service owned by Perth-based Stagecoach Group.

Journeycall, which had sales of £800,000 in 2005, is projecting a figure of almost £2 million this year.

Local councillors have all welcomed the jobs boost that will also bring the business park to the attention of more potential occupiers.

Councillor Ruth Leslie Melville described it is “really good news.”

“It is not just bringing jobs to the area and raise the profile of the business park but also brings more people to Brechin, hopefully to live and join the community.”

Councillor Joy Mowatt hoped there would be substantial local recruitment which would be of enormous economic benefit to the community.

“I assume the call centre will be in the empty advance unit and I look forward to them being there as soon as possible,” she said.

Councillor Bob Myles said there had been empty space at the business park for long enough and it would be good to see it being used.

He said, “The new jobs are very welcome and it could prompt others to use the park.”