Limerick and Kildare will get 100 jobs each in the next year, due to a £12 million (#15.25 million) expansion in Ireland of Modus Media International, a global provider of copying, packaging and printing services to the technology industry.

Announcing the jobs yesterday, at the opening of the company's Customer Solutions Centre in Limerick, the Tanaiste, Ms Harney, said: "These developments mean that Modus Media will employ more than 1,000 people at its three facilities in Dublin [370], Kildare [550] and Limerick [100].

"This is a very welcome move and very much in harmony with the Government's and IDA Ireland's focus on the regions. It means that the economic benefits of the large IT companies are being reinforced in the locality and that spin-off employment is being generated."

The development is an important addition to the sub-supply infrastructure for the information technology sector in the region and the Tanaiste said the company was one of the few supply chain management companies contributing significantly to the regional job-creation programmes through investment in the regions.

Modus Media's expansion is driven by the growth in the business of companies such as Dell Computer, Microsoft and IBM, to which it provides out-sourced supplies and technology services.

The sector has grown rapidly in Ireland and Europe and the company has developed its business by responding to changing customer requirements for ancillary supplies.

In line with its strategy of being close to its customers, it has developed its facilities at several regional locations to provide a faster and better service and the Limerick expansion is just the next step in developing that regionalised service.

Modus Media delivers a full range of integrated services including software manufacturing, hardware assembly, on-demand manufacturing and response management and fulfilment through its digitally-linked facilities in all major world markets.

The company, which employs 4,500 people worldwide, now has five facilities in Ireland.