Tánaiste announces two expansions by companies in the BMW region

Tánaiste announces two expansions by companies in the BMW region - resulting in 54 new jobs for Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo.

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Harney, T.D., announced today (Tuesday 17^th February 2004) that two companies in Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo - 2R Kunststofftechnik GmbH & Co. KG, and Reed Executive Plc - are to expand their operationswith the support of IDA Ireland. The expansions will create a total of 54 new jobs.

2R Kunststofftechnik isexpanding its operation to manufacture a new range of specialised moulded plastic components for the automotive and other industries. It will create 24 new jobs over five years, resulting in the doubling of employment to 48 people. Reed Executive,one of the UK's largest recruitment companies, is expanding its Administration Centre to provide a range of service functions, such as payroll, financial management and software support, to its parent company. It will add 30 new jobs over three years to the 4 people already at the Centre.

The Tánaiste, welcoming the announcements, said, "The success of 2R Kunststofftechnik to-date is proof that the choice of Tubbercurry in 1998 as a location was a correct decision. It shows that regional locations can be attractive and successful for international businesses with specific needs. Reed Executive, as a result of this expansion, will now be a significant employer in Tubbercurry and is an ideal project for this BMW location. Both of these expansions will make important increasing contributions to the town and surrounding area."

Briefings on the two new expansions follow -

2R Kunststofftechnik GmbH & Co. KG.

2R Kunststofftechnik GmbH & Co. KG, of Germany, is to expand its operation in Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo, to manufacture a new range of specialised moulded plastic components for the automotive and other industries. It will create 24 new jobs over five years, resulting in the doubling of employment to 48 people. Recruitment is underway and the new jobs will require injection moulding operators and assembly technicians. The range of products manufactured by 2R Kunststofftechnik GmbHinclude components for car interiors, such as the handbrake and door handles, to unseen brackets, fixings and safety related items.

The investment is for the expansion of the production capacity and capability to deal with the forecasted increase in business from existing customers and other new diversified non-automotive customers. The facility has built a strong reputation in a specialised segment of the automotive component supply business - the production of high quality, fine tolerance moulded plastic components. To-date it has performed strongly, expanding its original facility and exceeding its planned employment target of 15 people. It chose Tubbercurry, when it was established in 1998, because of the availability of a highly flexible workforce and the cluster of tool making firms in the area."

Mr. Peter Huwald, General Manager, of the Tubbercurry facility, said, "we are delighted with this investment. It is a vote of confidence from our parent company and is the result of the success we have achieved due to the flexibility and productivity we have demonstrated and for being extremely efficient, with high productivity and very low labour turnover."

In 2003 the Tubbercurry facility diversified from automotive customers, winning an order for 20 million parts from a construction industry company - Ziegltrum & Wittmann - an order that has been doubled for 2004. It is now its intention to build on this success and to broaden its sectoral customer base.

2R Kunststofftechnik, is a family owned company, started in 1978 by its present owners Mr & Mrs Richard Fernengel. Based in Schweitenkirchen, Germany, it has a reputation for world-class production, quality, reliability and an extremely responsive service. Its customers include BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Audi and Ziegltrum & Wittmann. It has collaborated with BMW on many projects, resulting in it being the sole supplier for many components.

Reed Executive Plc.

Reed Executive Plc, one of the UK's largest recruitment companies, is expanding its Administration Centre in Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo, to provide a range of service functions to its parent company in both the UK and Ireland, which will include payroll administration, centralised financial management activity and software application support. It will create an additional 30 new jobs over the next three years. The operation already employs 4 people.

Reed Personnel Services Ltd was set up in Ireland in 1997 and has a number of specialist recruitment divisions in Dublin and Cork, in addition to the Tubbercurry Centre, and currently employs a total of 30 people in Ireland.

Reed Executive Plc was established in London in 1960 by its current Chairman Alec Reed. The company has grown into a business with over 2,400 staff and 280 branches operating in the UK and Ireland. It has an annual turnover of St.£349 million. Its strong client base includes Lloyds TSB, Barclays Bank, Vodafone, British Airways, Sainsburys and Royal Bank of Scotland.

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