McKessonHBOC to invest £1.1 m in new Software Duplication Centre

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Harney, today (Thursday 1st March 2001) announced that IDA Ireland has agreed an investment proposal with McKessonHBOC to establish a Software Duplication Centre in Cork. This new project will create 24 jobs at a new 21,000 sq. ft. (2,000 sq. metres) building in Cork Airport Business Park.

Making the announcement, the Tánaiste said, "The new centre will employ people with software skills and recruitment is already underway. McKessonHBOC joins a list of prestigious overseas companies who have all chosen Cork as a location to operate from".

The Tánaiste continued, "With a workforce of 24,500 and a turnover of $28 billion in 2000, , McKessonHBOC are the world’s largest supply management and healthcare technology company supplying software packages to the hospitals, pharmacies, physicians, pharmaceutical manufacturers, medical and surgical manufacturers and healthcare insurers".

"This new software operation will be strategically very important to our business", said Mr. Andy Smith, General Manager, Irish Operations, McKessonHBOC. "It will centralise worldwide duplication and distribution services for our Information Technology Business and will provide the capacity required to meet growth in demand for our services. We believe that Cork is an ideal location for us. It provides us with access to high quality labour, proximity to Cork airport and an excellent standard of roads and telecommunications infrastructure".

McKessonHBOC are expanding their software services business in Europe and will establish the new Software Duplication Centre in Cork to service its US and European customers. The new facility in Cork will be a key location for the McKessonHBOC group as all duplication and distribution services for the Information Technology Business division of McKessonHBOC will be centralised in Cork. McKessonHBOC currently employs more than 700 people in Europe, with offices in the United Kingdom, France and the Netherlands.