Xerox to Add a Total of 600 New Jobs at Irish Operations in Dundalk and Dublin

Tánaiste, Mary Harney announced this morning (Monday 20th December,1999) that the Government has agreed IDA Ireland support for a further £34 million investment by Xerox Europe Limited which will result in an additional 600 new jobs at its Irish operations - 420 in Dublin and 180 in Dundalk. "This is a further significant endorsement of Ireland's continuing ability to provide the skilled people, services, infrastructure and cost competitive environment required to support a major global operation, " the Tánaiste said.

The Irish operation is the single largest greenfield undertaking by Xerox and has been the fastest and most successful business ramp-up in the company's history. This latest investment will bring total employment to 2,100 people in Dundalk and 2,000 people in Dublin by the end of 2003, with a total investment in excess of £400 million. It will further strengthen and consolidate Ireland's position within Xerox Europe with this expansion of its previously announced business support service operations. The investment is ahead of schedule with 1,775 jobs already created - 1,490 in Dublin and 285 in Dundalk.

"This announcement is a further success for the Government's policy, implemented by IDA Ireland, of winning investments by companies already located here which will widen the scope of their operations and add higher value activities at their facilities. At full implementation Xerox will be of major strategic importance for Ireland as it will have an extensive range of business functions successfully operating at two separate locations. It will be a valuable reference for IDA Ireland in its marketing," said the Tánaiste.

Aidan Donnelly, General Manager, Xerox Europe - Ireland Operations said, "We are delighted with this significant boost to what is already an exciting and successful story. All of us at Xerox are looking forward to the coming months as construction reaches its latter phases and more and more of our operations serving the European market go live."

The 110 acre Xerox Technology Park at Dundalk, the construction of which is well advanced, will be one of Xerox's three manufacturing facilities in Europe. The 500,000 sq.ft. facility will encompass the manufacture of colour toner, ink jet printer cartridges, ink jet printer heads, power supplies, electronic assemblies and undertake software development. The manufacture of the advanced Docutech and Docuprint document solutions has already begun following the completion of the first of the Technology Park's five facilities, the 162,500 sq.ft. hardware building, in November.

Related activities at the Technology Park will include materials procurement, production management and associated accounting functions and Group resources, such as quality management, human resources, environmental and health and safety functions. The Technology Park is due for completion in mid-2000.

The investment at Dublin's Ballycoolin Business Park in Blanchardstown, incorporates Xerox's shared financial services, technical support and customer support operations for the entire European market. It also includes the establishment of a centralised Server Farm to support the company's pan-European information technology functions. The Dublin campus will incorporate six buildings covering over 270,000 sq.ft. of premises and is scheduled for completion before mid-2000.

The Tánaiste continued, "the management and workforce at the Irish facilities are to be congratulated for winning this investment as it continues the development of the European operation in Ireland as part of the company's on-going global reconstruction and consolidation process. Xerox has already had a major impact in Dundalk both in terms of investment and in increasing business confidence in the area. The construction of the facility is the most visible sign of the transformation that Dundalk is undergoing. Xerox has already developed strong links with Dundalk Institute of Technology and with the Chamber of Commerce."