Tánaiste announces 230 new jobs for Waterford and 25 new jobs for Kilkenny

Mary Harney, Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment today (Tuesday 30th January 2001) announced that 255 new jobs will be created in the South-East Region by three IDA Ireland supported investments. In Waterford City, Sun Life Information Services Ireland Limited will create 200 new jobs and Adam GmbH will create 30 new jobs. In Kilkenny City FileFlow AS will create 25 new jobs.

"These announcements are excellent news for the South-East as the projects will provide high quality employment opportunities right across the region. Following so quickly on the recent announcement by PFPC International, that it expects to employ over 200 people in Wexford when its new Financial Services Centre is fully operational, it means that a total of over 450 new jobs are to come on stream over the next few years, providing a significant boost to the area," said the Tánaiste.

The Tánaiste, welcoming the new companies, said, "The diverse nature of the projects will provide opportunities for people with a broad range of skills and qualifications across a number of different sectors of business and there will be some opportunities for mature people who wish to return to the workforce."

Sun Life Information Services Ireland Ltd., a member of the Sun Life Financial of Canada group of companies, will create 200 new jobs over the next four years with the establishment of a Business Support Centre which will be a key element in supporting the company’s growing business in the U.S. Sun Life is a diversified international financial services organization focused on providing financial solutions to businesses and individuals which already has an Information Technology Services Centre in Waterford.

Making the announcement the Tánaiste said, "This expansion is excellent news for Waterford. As a major international financial services operation, it will offer people the option to relocate to the City to live and work, as well as offering opportunities to recently qualified people with certificates and diplomas in Business Administration or FÁS qualifications in computer and office skills. Sun Life Information Services Ireland Ltd. is also seeking to employ mature people who wish to return to the workforce."

Adam GmbH, a German company, will create 30 new jobs for highly skilled graphic design and computer people at its new Graphic Design Centre. It will carry out graphic design and database, project and logistics’ management for clients’ advertising campaigns. Adam provides a full range of advertising services to its clients in Germany.

"Adam’s choice of Waterford for the new Centre was directly related to the availability of suitably qualified people graduating from the Waterford Institute of Technology. The first employees, who are currently being recruited from the Institute, are graphic design diploma holders and database management technicians with a certificate or diploma in computing. This again emphasises the important link between Third Level education and business," said the Tánaiste.

The project for Kilkenny City is being established by FileFlow AS, a Norwegian company, that is a leading developer and marketer of electronic Media Asset Management Systems (MAM’s) and has developed an extremely fast and secure delivery and storage system for digital image workflow across the Internet. Fileflow is establishing a Product Customisation Centre that will create 25 new high quality software and project management jobs.

The Tánaiste said, "Media Asset Management (MAM) has been identified by IDA Ireland as a growth sector and this is the first such company to establish an operation in Ireland. I am particularly pleased therefore to welcome FileFlow to Ireland and especially to Kilkenny. FileFlow’s decision to locate here is a further endorsement of the Government’s strategy to develop Ireland as a major centre for e.business. This is the third IDA Ireland supported investment to be announced for Kilkenny since last July, following the establishment of operations by InFoScore and Deutsche International, in addition to the assistance given to VHI in its establishment of a new Business Centre".