A Donegal company is to create 71 jobs following a €3.6 million investment in research and devlopment.
E&I Engineering Ireland will add the new positions, which are skilled manufacturing roles, at its headquarters in Burnfoot, Co Donegal, over the next three years.
The company manufactures electrical switchgear and distribution products for the building services sector. The funding will be used to develop the firm's current product range and expand into new markets.
“As we expand over the next two years, we intend to focus on three major areas to ensure ongoing growth and success for E&I Engineering. The first will be focussed R&D activity, targeting both our existing sectors and the renewable energy sector," said managing director Philip O’ Doherty. "We also intend to expand our geographic sales into mainland Europe and the third focus will be on cost competitiveness, to be achieved through a lean manufacturing programme, which will allow us to continue to grow efficiently.”
E&I Engineering currently employs 249 people in Ireland, and also has operations in the United Arab Emirates.
The investment is being supported by Enterprise Ireland.
The news comes as part of a series of job announcements in the past few weeks.
Yesterday, Irish-owned aircraft maintenance firm Eirtech Aviation said it planned to create 71 jobs at Dublin airport over the next three years. The company will move into Hangar Three at the airport, and will provide aircraft refurbishment, painting and engineering to commercial airline, private and business class aircraft operators, and aircraft leasing companies.
Meanwhile, Audi Ireland is making a €1.4 million investment in a new service centre in south Dublin. The centre will employ up to 30 people when it opens in July.
On Monday, insurance company Axa said it will create 200 jobs in Ireland over the next three years with the establishment of a global life product distribution and servicing subsidiary.
Last week, international computer games firm Electronic Arts said it plans to open a European customer service and operations centre in Galway, creating about 200 jobs, and telecoms company Telefonica has also announced plans to create 100 jobs at its Dublin office.
Fifty-five new jobs will be created at two Co Kerry firms, Straker, which develops software that allows sites to be run in several languages, and wind turbine manufacturer Enercon.
However, not all the news has been positive. Pfizer said last month it intended to cut its Irish workforce by 785 as part of a global cutback following its acquisition of Wyeth.
Last week, almost 200 jobs were lost at the healthcare group Covidien, which is the biggest employer in Tullamore.