IRISH CONNECTION:APPLE ESTABLISHED a facility in Cork in 1980, the first base for the computer maker outside the US. Since then it has been a major employer in the city.
The plant in Holyhill on the north side of the city swelled to employ more than 1,900 staff by the mid-1990s and was the main production centre for two core Apple products – the Mac G3 and the iMac. In 1999, however, the iMac production was outsourced to plants in Wales and Singapore with the loss of 450 jobs.
At that stage, employment dropped to just 500 and there was widespread speculation that Apple’s days in Cork were numbered. The future of the plant was debated in the Dáil, with several TDs suggesting Apple would never employ significant numbers in the city again. With the launch of the iPod and increased demand for its personal computers, though, employment at Cork grew again and surpassed 2,000 last year.
The facility is headed by Irishwoman Cathy Kearney, who has the title of senior director of European operations.
It is run by Irish-registered company Apple Operations Europe, which has unlimited company status and, as such, is not required to publicly file its accounts or any other information about its performance or activities.
The Cork facility has a major role in Apple’s supply chain shipping products around Europe, the Middle East and Africa. It also assembles the Mac Pro, a high-end Macintosh aimed at designers and other professional users.
Perhaps in reaction to the intense media spotlight that came with the job losses in 1999, Apple is guarded with the media about its operations in Cork and will not even confirm exactly how many people work at the plant.
IDA Ireland chief executive Barry O’Leary yesterday paid tribute to Steve Jobs as “an unrivalled innovator and visionary”.
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