THERE was good news on the employment front for Swords last week when 110 new jobs were announced for the town.
Global technology company Ricoh will provide the positions as part of a €6.5 million investment at its new Irish headquarters at Airside Business Park.
The headquarters will welcome the additional 110 team members over the next three years as Ricoh looks to grow its Irish business to 190 people by the end of 2019.
The jobs and investment were announced at the official opening of the new Irish base in Airside Business Park, in the presence of Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mary Mitchell O’Connor.
The new headquarters will continue to focus on Ricoh Ireland’s core areas of business: managed document services, communications services, production print, business process services, software solutions and professional services.
Speaking about the announcement, Gary Hopwood, general manager, Ricoh Ireland, said it underlines the company’s success in embracing digital transformation and helping their customers to do the same.
“The new HQ truly is the feather in our cap, showcasing how we have used technology to pioneer the workforce of the future,” said Mr Hopwood.
“Our revenue stream in Ricoh Ireland continues to grow and we want to continue driving that forward.
“To achieve that, we needed a new office space that could facilitate a much larger workforce that will be instrumental in Ricoh Ireland’s future success. We expect to see significant returns on this investment for many years to come.”
Minister Mitchell O’Connor said the workforce is rapidly changing and Irish businesses must ensure they cater for the younger generations that are currently scaling up the career ladder.
“Ricoh Ireland’s new headquarters is an excellent example of how businesses in Ireland can innovate to transform the workplace, attract and maintain talent and maximise employee productivity and engagement,” she said.
“This jobs announcement showcases Ireland’s attractiveness to global organisations as a business hub.
“We have an extremely talented, multinational workforce and Ricoh is demonstrating its faith and confidence in our people with this announcement today.”
Phil Keoghan, chief executive of Ricoh UK & Ireland, said: “Ireland is viewed as a key area of growth for Ricoh and we will continue to make significant investments in the company’s continued success here.
“Its strong portfolio of indigenous and global accounts is testament to the outstanding performance of the Irish operation.
“This announcement demonstrates Ricoh’s consistent confidence in – and commitment to – the Irish market.”
Dublin Fingal TD Alan Farrell (FG) said the announcement shows the Government’s continued emphasis on jobs creation is working.
“Over 200,000 new jobs have been created since Fine Gael in Government launched the Action Plan for Jobs in February 2012,” he said.
Fingal County Council also welcomed the new jobs for Swords.
Chief executive Paul Reid described it as a major boost for Fingal and Swords.
“We have been working closely with interested parties and Government agencies to attract business to the area and the announcement by Ricoh is another indication that people look at Fingal, see its potential and decide to invest here,” said Mr Reid.