Location key to investment decisions, says US firm's chief

IRELAND’S LOCATION on the western edge of Europe is giving it a geographical advantage for global companies operating here, according to Mr Michael Brannick, president and chief executive officer of US company Prometric which yesterday announced it was opening a facility in Dundalk, Co Louth, next year.

Some 150 jobs will be created by the company in Dundalk by 2014. It already employs over 100 people in Dublin and Cork. Prometric is based in Baltimore, employs more than 2,000 people worldwide and is a global provider of computer based tests and assessments; its clients in Ireland include the Road Safety Authority and Sustainable Energy Ireland.

Mr Brannick says the company needs to be able to test what it creates quickly as “speed to market is valuable to our clients,” and to have its staff doing these tests “operating in the US, in Ireland and in India all on the same project and the work just transfers from one collaborative team to another one” is important.

This allows the company to continue its work 24 hours a day and “having a location in Europe to do that given its (Europe’s) centrality relative to US time zones and Asia time zones is very helpful to that process”.

Asked if our location on the edge of Europe and therefore being closest to the US gives us a unique geographical advantage he said, “It is I think,” but said it is not the only factor in making a decision to locate here.

The other factors are “you are politically stable, your primary language is English and it’s an American investment friendly environment so it’s a good place for American companies to come to”.

The quality of applicants for the positions has taken the company by surprise.

Stephen Williams who is vice-president of Prometrics test development services was on the interview panel.

“We started recruiting here 60 days ago and have hired our first three executives. The quality of the people I saw , I was blown away by. The résumés and the CVs we are seeing are of very high standard people so we are very excited.”