725 jobs in service and tech sectors

FORECOURT RETAILER Applegreen said it would create 300 jobs, and 425 positions were confirmed at Stream Global Services.

Irish company Applegreen said it would create 300 jobs after winning contracts to operate new motorway service stations in Dublin, Louth and Kildare.

The company is part of the SuperStop consortium awarded a public-private partnership contract by the National Roads Authority to operate and maintain the service areas. The consortium also includes Top Oil and Pierse Contracting.

The positions, both full and part-time, will be mainly in the food service area, with additional jobs in retail, cleaning and maintenance. A recruitment drive is under way.

The service areas, located on the M1 at Lusk and Castlebellingham, and the M4 at Enfield, will include fuelling areas, cafes, rest areas, showers and playgrounds. They are due to open in September and October, beginning with the Lusk northbound station. The project represents an investment of more than €70 million on behalf of the consortium.

The jobs will take Applegreen’s workforce in Ireland to almost 1,000. The independent forecourt retailer, established in 2004, has 57 sites in the Republic and is building a network in the UK.

Separately, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation Batt O’Keeffe confirmed that business process outsourcing firm Stream is to create 425 high-quality jobs in Dublin over the next 12 months.

The jobs, reported by The Irish Timeslast month, will provide technical support across Europe in 16 languages for a leading manufacturer of video game consoles.

Stream Ireland Ltd will invest €2.5 million in a new centre in Swords, Co Dublin. The company, which employs about 300 staff at its Santry offices, said the new service would be fully operational in the third quarter of this year. The contract is expected to generate more than €40 million a year in revenues.

Ground handling company Sky Handling Partner said today it created 50 jobs at its Dublin airport base. The jobs have been added in check-in and aircraft service. The firm employs over 300 people at Dublin and Shannon airports.