THE confirmation that 375 Midland jobs, which were once part of the proud Britannic empire, are being lost to India and Scotland marks yet another nail in the coffin for the region's business base.
Staff at Wythall had been fearing the worst for more than six months since last May's announcement that the site was to close and jobs outsourced.
But that will be little compensation to staff and their families today as they contemplate an uncertain future in an increasingly uncertain world.
Globalisation is a fact of life in the 21st century, but to so many organisations, the G word simply means cutting costs.
It's cheaper to transfer work to a call centre in Mumbai - regardless of the service to customers - so 375 Midland jobs are lost forever.
Not only are jobs sacrificed at the altar of the bottom line, nearly 150 years of proud working tradition are swept away, with the Wythall site a remaining link with the famous old Britannic insurance empire.
Britannic began life in 1866 offering penny a week insurance policies to Victorian households in Birmingham.
Today, Capita prefers a more impersonal approach, hiring workers in Mumbai to undercut the cost of retaining loyal West Midlanders.
Cynics would argue there's no room for sentiment in business. But organisations should remember that it's people who make businesses tick.