Marketing firms to create 150 jobs at Shannon

TWO new Shannon-based direct marketing companies will create almost 150 jobs, the Minister for Enterprise and Employment, Mr Bruton announced yesterday.

Supported by Shannon Development, the Connect Corporation, based in Rhode Island in the US, is to establish a third-party, multi-client, direct marketing and tele-services centre in the Shannon Free Zone, which will create 109 new jobs and involve an investment of £1.2 million.

The Gymboree Corporation, Burlingame, California, the leading North American speciality retailer of high quality children's clothing and accessories, is to set up its European headquarters and distribution centre at the Shannon Free Zone. It will employ 40 people, resulting in an investment of almost £2 million. The company operates 378 stores in the US and Canada.

The Minister also introduced Ireland's first turn-key direct marketing centre at the Shannon Free Zone.

This initiative is part of Shannon Development's drive to make Shannon the centre for international direct marketing activity in Europe. The development agency joined forces with Telecom Eireann to provide a customised 20,000 sq ft direct marketing centre which can accommodate a maximum of 750 people.

In addition, Mr Bruton officially opened the new Cabletron International Logistics Centre at the free zone. The new 55,000 sq ft state-of-the-art facility, which has the scope to double in size, is the centre of Cabletron's product distribution, customer support and product repair activity for Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Far East and South America.

It involved an investment of £1.95 million in building refurbishment by Shannon Development. An additional 58 jobs will be created at Cabletron over three years, bringing total employment to 121. Current employment in the company's Shannon operations is 85. A further 420 people are employed in Cabletron Systems, the company's Irish manufacturing operation, which was established in Limerick in 1992.