US-based business process outsourcing (BPO) company Afni is ending 2021 by kicking off last December 13 the construction of its latest hub in Metro Manila at the SM City Fairview Tower 4.
The Afni-exclusive tower is over 12,000 square meters, four floors high, and set to be home to more than 3,000 employees.
The site, designed by NTT Ltd., a global technology services company, boasts amenities and workspace that are accessible and conducive to the employees’ overall well-being and optimum productivity.
“The opening of the new site in the second quarter of 2022 coincides with Afni’s 10th anniversary in the Philippines,” said the company’s vice president for operations and country manager Khalid Khursheed during the groundbreaking ceremonies.
“This is a milestone for our organization and people – a start of many more,” he added.
Afni first expanded to the Philippines in 2012 with a handful of staff at Bonifacio Global City. In 2013, the company moved to Diliman Commercial Center in Quezon City to further strengthen its foothold. In 2017, Afni opened its flagship site at One Felicity Center along Commonwealth Avenue. And in the last quarter of 2020, it opened its SM City Fairview Tower 5 site.
The SM City Tower 4 sits at a prime and up-and-coming area in northern Quezon City, a destination for almost all public utility vehicles, including the mega project Metro Railway Transport 7 (MRT-7). The area has been undergoing massive development in recent years, driving employment to those living in surrounding residential communities and neighboring provinces like Bulacan.
“SM City Fairview is pleased to welcome Afni to our ever-growing community,” said SM Supermalls president Steven Tan in a statement. “We are honored to be partners with a company that shares the same confidence in the talent and grit of the Filipino workforce.”
With the steady expansion over the years, the company’s headcount has grown to nearly 6,500 to date and is forecast to further increase despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Even when we had to adapt to the ‘new normal,’ our growth didn’t stop,” said Khalid. “We’ve grown 70% from 2019 to 2021 – we’re able to do that in two years amid the pandemic and in one year of regular operations.”
“The dedication of our people has continuously driven our success, giving us the tremendous opportunity to set our sights on expanding to more locations,” said Afni president Ron Greene.
“This groundbreaking ceremony is proof that together, we can achieve greater heights,” added Greene.
Aligned with the government’s initiatives of bringing rapid development and jobs to the countryside, Afni is actively looking for locations outside the metro, with a quality talent pool and robust infrastructure in place.
“As we open new sites, we see not only organizational growth but also the creation of many jobs for Filipinos,” said Khalid.
