Affinity Express to launch two more centres

PUNE: Affinity Express, a graphic and design BPO, is on an expansion spree for the next 12 to 15 months as it moves ahead with plans to open new centres in Philippines and India.

With $28 million invested by LiveIt, Ayala Corporation's holding company, as part of Affinity's acquisition in partnership with its management team, the company has laid out plans to inject this capital for building up new operations, accelerating technological deployments and international expansions.

James R Daleen, President and CEO of Affinity Express, said that the company would open a new facility in Philippines in the next four to six months where Newspaper ads, Direct Mails and Digital forms would be focus business areas with a targeted headcount of 300 to 500 people.

"We will then expand into another city in India that will add to our already operational Pune center. As far as the acquisition goes there would be no operational changes and it's a strategic move for Affinity."

Chennai is on the shortlist for the next centre in India, he added. The Pune center that has a headcount of 830 people has a capacity of 600 and 700 people and has grown by 300 people last year.

He pegged the overall graphic design business to be to the tune of $four billion where Affinity has a market share of less than five per cent. The company would be hitting at Newspaper ad design as the key vertical in the near future with markets like Europe, Latin America and APAC next in line after US. LiveIt has acquired the existing shares of investors like Flagship Ventures, Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Ticonderoga Capital and Coop Securities LLC.

The company does outsourced work for a variety of organisations and verticals that include the Los Angeles Times (Newspapers), ADVO (Direct Mail), Staples and OfficeMax (Quick Printing) and ASI (Promotional Products). Talking to CyberMedia News, Ram V Ramachandran, executive vice president, India, shared that the company is also present in the POD (Print On Demand) market and possibilities of exploring Ad agency industry as a potential business area are ripe. "We have just kicked off a research to ascertain that market which would include the domestic industry."

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