Spar owner to open 50 new shops and create 1,000 jobs

The creation of some 1,200 new jobs was announced this morning, as BWG, the company behind Spar in Ireland, said it will invest €100 million in store development over the next five years, while two companies in Cork and Tipperary are to boost their employment by creating 100 new jobs each.

The convenience brand Spar said it plans to add 50 new stores to its network by 2016, leading to the creation of up to 1,000 new full and part-time jobs over the next two years.

The announcement follows the recent investment by BWG South Africa, which saw it take an 80 per cent holding in the group and set aside funds of up to €100 million for investment.

"Following six years of recession we believe the economy is finally turning the corner and this uplift is starting to positively impact the retail sector. The upcoming budget will be a crucial milestone and we urge the Government to include measures such as the reversal in employer PRSI rates in order to maintain the fragile recovery in our sector," said chief executive Leo Crawford.

Also this morning, Spar launched its new SPAR Select range of premium quality private label products.

Meanwhile Ribworld, the Tipperary based food company, is to create 100 new jobs as part of a new € 8 million investment programme.

Part of the M&M Walshe food group, Ribworld is recognised as one of Europe’s leading sous vide specialists.

In a statement, the company said tha the strategic investment programme will position the company to invest in a major new product development drive and expand operational capacity, all aimed at meeting increasing demand for its products and expanding its market share across Europe and other international markets.

Recruitment for the new positions will get underway shortly, and this will bring employment levels at Ribworld to over 175 people over the next three years.

Ribworld went into receivership in 2011 and was subsequently purchased by M&M Walshe/Callan Bacon.

John Walshe, managing director, Ribworld, said that the business has grown by over 200 per cent since 2011, and it has launched a number of new products.

“It is now a truly international business, selling into such diverse markets as Finland and Thailand,” he said, adding, ‘This new facility will allow Ribworld to continue to expand into new markets and develop a new range of products. It is a massive investment for us but we have every confidence that it will be a catalyst for a major expansion of our food group”.

Finally, in Cork, global software company SolarWinds is to announce the creation of up to 100 jobs in Cork city