Bruton welcomes new jobs during visit to Germany

MINISTER FOR Enterprise, Jobs and Innovation Richard Bruton has welcomed the announcement of new jobs and investment at the end of his two-day visit to Germany.

Specialist forklift manufacturer Combilift is to create 25 new jobs at its headquarters in Gallinagh, Co Monaghan, primarily down to an increase in orders from Germany.

Meanwhile, Carlow company Hi-Spec Engineering has unveiled a new joint venture in Germany to generate exports of €2.5 million in three years.

“Combilift is an Irish manufacturing firm that, being rooted in innovation, continues to outstrip international competition, continues to manufacture in Ireland and continues to provide valuable employment in the Border region,” said Mr Bruton of the company that manufactures four-way forklifts.

The Minister’s busy Düsseldorf programme yesterday involved media interviews, company meetings and a reception with the Irish business community in Düsseldorf.

Enterprise Ireland’s Germany head Deirdre McPartlin said yesterday’s announcement marked a “coming to fruition” of efforts to boost Irish job-creation through greater engagement with Germany.

“Irish companies are putting the correct investment in place to enable them take on the Germany market,” she said.

Combilift managing director Martin McVicar said Germany was already the company’s third largest market and forecast €8 million in sales here in 2011. As a result, he said, 2011 sales were likely to rise a fifth on last year.

“Due to the current buoyancy of the German economy and the number of other Combilift export markets, we are looking to increase the number of our workforce from 175 to 200 in the coming year, creating 25 new jobs in the Monaghan area.”

Enterprise Ireland chief executive Frank Ryan praised Combilift’s “innovative, high-quality” products, and predicted big success in the “highly discerning” German market.

Meanwhile Hi-Spec, a manufacturer of cattle feeders from Bagenalstown, is to set up a permanent base in Germany with Dutch partner Europe Dairy Systems. Hi-Spec’s Michael Noland said the investment would secure the company’s 39 jobs in Carlow, with the prospect of future job creation.