Utah-based Teleperformance, a Pensacola call center will begin laying off some of its 176 employees this month and close permanently by May 31, according to a company spokesman.

Teleperformance Executive Vice President Mark Pfeiffer said the decision was the result of a “strategic move designed to better align and utilize existing resources and capacity.

The Heinberg Street call center provides customer care services for several of Teleperformance’s major clients in a number of business sectors, Pfeiffer said.

By noon on Tuesday the main door to the company’s lobby were locked, and several employees gathered in the parking lot refused to comment on the announcement.

The company said it is working with local officials to help the affected staff find employment as their jobs are phased out.