The firm’s director of operations for North American research services, Kelly Henry, told the local Ottumwa Courier that the closure was “based on economic factors that everyone is facing”.

The centre employs 80 part-time and one full-time member of staff, who will all lose their positions. However, Henry said, Synovate would be offering them new positions with the firm that would allow them to work from home, and hoped to retain “the majority”.

Henry added that the closure had nothing to do with the quality or productivity of the staff.