Affiliated Computer Services to close Fort Worth call center

FORT WORTH, Jun 24, 2008 (Fort Worth Star-Telegram - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- ACS | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Affiliated Computer Services plans to close a Fort Worth call center by Sept. 1, and about 450 workers will be laid off, the company said Monday.

ACS, based in Dallas, has operated the call center since 2005, said Carol DeMatteo, director of corporate communications at ACS.

The operation handled inbound customer service and support calls for a client whom DeMatteo declined to identify. The call center is at 15001 FAA Blvd. in the Centreport development south of Dallas/Fort Worth Airport.

The company disclosed the layoff in a filing with the Texas Workforce Commission.

"Because of the decision of one of our clients, we are eliminating this facility," DeMatteo said. She said the company "will provide a severance plan to those who qualify" and will aid displaced workers in looking for new jobs either within ACS or outside the company.

The layoffs come amid record employment in the Fort Worth-Arlington area and relatively low unemployment. Last month, the area reported employment of more than 1 million, up 22,600 from a year earlier, and a jobless rate of 4.3 percent.

ACS provides computer services and other business process outsourcing services to a variety of clients. It has about 2,000 employees in North Texas and about 7,000 statewide, DeMatteo said.

The company said in its most recent financial report that it earned $82.6 million on revenues of $1.54 billion in the quarter ending March 31. Its new contract signings during the quarter represented $245 million in annual revenue, its second-highest ever.

To see more of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.dfw.com. Copyright (c) 2008, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

Morning Coffee with TradingMarkets -- Free Newsletter

More News:   Market Updates | Stock Alerts | All Trading News | Stock Index