DPD Ireland to create 200 jobs in €13m expansion

Courier company DPD Ireland is to create 200 jobs, as part of a €13 million expansion plan.

The positions include sorting technicians, drivers and administrative staff, and will be located at the company’s headquarters in Athlone and throughout the country. DPD said 70 of the jobs would be filled by Christmas.

The company is doubling the size of its headquarters and sorting facility in Athlone from 50,000 to 100,000sq ft. On completion, the expansion will enable the company to triple its daily hub handling capacity from 60,000 to 150,000.

DPD Ireland chief executive Brendan O’Neill said online shopping is dramatically increasing, with Irish consumers expecting to spend over €13 billion on ecommerce by 2020.

“Our business plan reflects this change in consumer behaviour. We recently invested €1.9 million in our company’s IT scanning system which ensures that we maintain our position at the forefront of innovation in delivery technology.”

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton said online trading is growing rapidly and this offers huge opportunities to Irish businesses.

“Today’s very welcome announcement by DPD that it is creating 200 extra jobs as a result of this growth is an important boost for the midlands.”

DPD Ireland posted revenues of €54.2 million last year. The company said it is on track to report revenues of more than €63 million this year. DPD has 38 depots throughout the country and handles more than 14 million parcels per year. It currently employs almost 1,000 people. Earlier this year, the company launched Parcel Wizard, a service that allows Irish shoppers to order from UK websites, by providing them with a virtual UK address.