Jobs boost for Dumfries and Galloway as 100 new roles confirmed for Stranraer in £1m investment

A £1m investment is set to bring 100 new jobs to Stranraer.

These new positions will be home-based from a hub in the Dumfries and Galloway town and will come into effect over the next three months.

They are being created by customer service outsourcing firm Ascensos, which is based in Motherwell and also has offices in Glasgow, the Isle of Wight, Bucharest and Istanbul. Its customers include KFC, B&Q and Peloton.

The firm is setting up a new project - Ascensos Local - which it has described as "a new community-focused arm of the business" and Stranraer will be the first of six hubs.

The new jobs have been welcomed by Romano Petrucci, the chair of Stranraer Development Trust.

He said:

He added: “Stranraer, like so many places, has taken a real knock over this past 18 months. The creation of so many new jobs by a company with a clear track record of success, and a culture that is committed to supporting the local community, is the kind of news that many towns could only dream about.  There are exciting times ahead and we should all welcome John and his team to the area.” 

John Devlin, of Ascensos, said: “This new hub will bring 100 permanent jobs to Stranraer and the surrounding area, and we predict the local economic impact of these new jobs will be incredibly positive.  We know a lack of job prospects for young people in the area is a real concern, and we are setting out to change that.

“The new jobs we are creating will offer a variety of opportunities, and not just for young people.  This type of role is ideal for people returning to the job market after a break, and for those looking to switch career.

The Stranraer hub will be based at South Strand Street and will be operational from September.  A recruitment base is due to be set up in Dumfries and Galloway College’s Stranraer campus this week.