APC JOBS ON STREAM BY OCTOBER



Connaught Telegraph 15 May 1996


Later start-up date - but plant confirmed for Castlebar

By TOM GILLESPIE

THE AMERICAN Power Conversion Corporation (APC) are to start recruiting for their Castlebar plant in October, Trade and Tourism Minister confirmed to the Connaught Telegraph last night.

Equipment will be moved into the 75,000 sq ft vacant complex adjacent to Baxter on the Breaffy Road in August in time for the start up of operations. Eventually 200 jobs are to be provided by APC who produce uninterruptable power supply units for computers. Already the company has a base in Galway where they employ 600 workers.

Originally APC bosses announced in November last that the jobs would come on stream around now and there had been many rumours over the future of the operation. But Minister Kenny said he had discussions with the Industrial Development Authority and APC concerning the Castlebar start-up date. He had been assured by the President of APC through the IDA that there should be no concern regarding the matter.

Minister Kenny said: "APC are fully committed to setting up in Castlebar. "The company are after all siting in four locations in Ireland and are quite rightly ensuring that all legal and environmental conditions are fully satisfied before actual work commences.

"While some measure of disappointment can be expressed in that the company did not meet its own intended set up dates, I am very happy with the reassurance offered."

Minister Kenny added: "This means that APC equipment should be in place in the Castlebar plant by August and that recruitment can then commence by October."

The Minister reiterated his welcome for the APC decision to site in Castlebar and said that "this was a decision that APC would never regret". An investment of £8.3 million is to be made by APC and the IDA in establishing the Castlebar operation.

A spokesman for Castlebar Chamber of Commerce said they were delighted there was no hic-up in the planned APC employment targets.

He said: "We will co-operate in every way possible with the IDA and APC to ensure that these badly needed jobs materialise in Castlebar as soon as possible."

Connaught Telegraph - News - May 1996

Connaught Telegraph - Sports - May 1996