THERE WAS a jobs boost for Galway yesterday when two firms announced the creation of 89 positions.
The new jobs are being created at Green Isle Foods in Portumna and Thermo King at its Mervue facility in the city.
The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Micheál Martin, said Green Isle Food would make a €5.2 million investment in production, training and production management at its Portumna plant.
A total of 70 jobs will be created over the next three years at the plant, which is part of British plc Northern Foods. The investment comes in the wake of Green Isle's acquisition of part of the RHM Pastry business in Britain.
Green Isle employs more than 1,100 people in Ireland at plants in Portumna, Naas and Gurteen in Co Sligo.
The Minister also said that Thermo King, a world leader in the design and manufacture of transport refrigeration equipment, would create 19 new jobs at its Mervue plant, where more than 600 people are employed.
The new positions, supported by IDA Ireland, will be in research and development work on the next generation of environmentally friendly products. The new products should have a higher level of performance and lower running costs.
Part of the Ingersoll Rang Corporation, the Galway facility is the company's largest in Europe.
"Thermo King is an excellent example of a company that has adopted a strategy of sustainable manufacturing by focusing on core competencies supported by R&D to build future opportunities, sustain profitability and provide a basis for a medium- to long-term product strategy," Mr Martin said.
