Minister O ’Keeffe announces 50 jobs in online manufacturer sourcing firm

The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Batt O’Keeffe TD, today [Wednesday] announced that an online firm for buyers and suppliers in the global manufacturing sector is to create 50 jobs in Drogheda, Co Louth.

MFG.com is the world's largest online sourcing marketplace for the manufacturing sector.

The 50 positions will be created over the next two years in a new Operations Centre serving Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

MFG.com connects buyers with suppliers in the global manufacturing sector and allows them to trade online.

Billions of dollars worth of discrete manufacturing services, industrial components and textiles has been sourced on the website since 2000.

Functions such as customer technical support, sales and human resources will be based in the Operations Centre in Drogheda.

Recruitment starts immediately.

Announcing the jobs today, Minister O’Keeffe described the investment as ‘strategically important for the north-eastern region’.

‘Drogheda can provide the skills base and expertise to draw an innovative world-leader such as MFG.com - demonstrating our capacity to strengthen the employment profile in the regions as Ireland enters economic recovery.

‘The announcement consolidates Ireland’s reputation in the global business services sector as a top location for innovation-intensive and knowledge-based investments,’ said Minister O’Keeffe.

MFG.com’s general manager for Europe, Stefan Bachmann, said: ‘Drogheda was a natural choice for our EMEA expansion given the flexible highly qualified workforce and the increasingly competitive pro-business environment.

‘We look forward to building the Drogheda operation into our pivotal hub for the EMEA region and to welcoming more Irish-based buyers and suppliers who want to broaden their international reach.’

The chief executive of IDA Ireland, Barry O’Leary, said: ‘Today’s announcement is in line with IDA Ireland’s recently published Horizon 2020 Strategy which aims to drive regional economic development through the location of high-value investments in regional locations.

‘This investment clearly reinforces Ireland’s reputation as one of Europe’s leading locations for business services companies.’