Parsons expands in Cork and becomes European Headquarters

80 new professional services positions to be created

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin TD announced today (Friday 2^nd December 2005) that Parsons, a California-based US corporation and a leading global management, engineering, construction and consulting services company, is to expand its business in Cork, with the support of IDA Ireland, to service its customers across Europe. Its expansion will create 80 additional jobs over the next three years, bringing total employment to 150 people by 2008.

The Cork based operation, which has moved to larger 15,000 sq. ft. premises at the Cork Airport Business Park, will become the centre of Parsons’ European operations in markets such as biotechnology, industrial, communications, environmental, healthcare and education.

Minister Martin, welcoming the expansion at the official opening of the company’s new premises in Cork today, said “This is an excellent investment by Parsons as it will expand an already successful business and give it a core strategic role within the parent corporation to develop its European business. This project will involve a broadening of the range of existing technical services to include higher value activities requiring skilled professional staff which the company is confident can be found in Ireland”.

Parsons provides design, validation and project management services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, food and beverage, other process industries and transportation markets in Ireland.

The Cork operation will be responsible for co-ordinating management for European projects, contract management, procurement of equipment and/or subcontractors, sales and marketing with existing customers and accounts management. The new positions created will involve the recruitment of professionally qualified and experienced people with the skills needed to carry the variety of construction service activities Parsons offers its customers.

Mr. Robert Grim, Managing Director of Parsons, said, “With this expansion and the move to our new office facility, Parsons is cementing our long term commitment to Ireland and Europe. Our future is bright and with the strong workforce base here in Ireland we will exceed our growth and profit goals”.