Topeka ? TeleTech Holdings, Inc. told its 790 employees that the company was closing April 2 after losing a contract that expires then.

“We value the contributions of the employees,” said Carol Hahn, spokeswoman for the company based in Englewood, Colo. “We regret doing this. It’s an unfortunate situation.”

Hahn said TeleTech, which assists customers with questions about billing, Internet access and phone service, was continuing to look for additional work for the Topeka center.

One of TeleTech’s major clients in Topeka is Verizon Communications. But it would not confirm if Verizon or another client had ended the contract.

Employees at TeleTech’s Topeka office referred calls to the company’s headquarters, which did not immediately return a phone call by The Associated Press.

Billie Muirhead, who has worked at the facility for 1 1/2 years, had heard the news when she arrived for her shift. She said another employee called her at home to give her the news.

“I thought it was a joke at first,” she said, “but then another person called me.”

The company’s payroll in Topeka is about $25 million, plus benefits, city leaders have said.

“I don’t think it’s necessarily a deathblow to the community,” Mayor James McClinton said during a news conference. “I think it’s unfortunate, but in these economic times, this happens in communities.”

In August 2003, the company announced it was hiring an additional 100 workers and there was no truth to rumors of possible cutbacks. TeleTech opened its Topeka facility in January 1999.