Major changes are coming to an Emporia call center business, but Communication Solutions says it is continuing its local operations.
Rumors about the company’s current status and future in Emporia had been circulating for most of December. On Thursday, Southeast KansasWorks reported to KVOE News staffers had told the state labor agency the end of company operations came Wednesday. However, company management says the Emporia branch at 1301 Chestnut is going through a notable downsizing and reconfiguration instead of a closure. Following recent layoffs, the local company workforce was trimmed from as high as 45 to 18. The remaining local workers are getting trained to work remotely.
KansasWorks and the Regional Development Association of East Central Kansas both report trying several communications to the business about its status with no response. KansasWorks had actually started conversations about an informational meeting to benefit laid-off workers before Communication Solutions reached back out to KVOE.
Communication Solutions came to Emporia late last year after an announcement from Kansas Governor Laura Kelly in August. Kelly’s announcement came less than a month after Fusion, long known locally as Birch, said it was selling its property as part of a restructuring effort to have most of its local employees work remotely — in much the same way as Communication Solutions is now planning to move forward.
Kelly’s announcement anticipated as many as 250 workers at the Emporia call center.
