PCH to buy Silicon Valley firm

Irish-headquartered supply chain management company PCH International is to buy Silicon Valley’s Lime Lab, expanding its reach in the US market.

PCH said it intends to create at least 15 new jobs in San Francisco by the end of the year, opening a research and development lab, and is planning to doubling the number to 30 people by the end of 2013.

Development consultancy firm Lime Lab was co-founded by Kurt Dammerman and Andre Yousefi in 2009. The company works with industrial design firms throughout the product's development.

PCH said its plans will include a full prototyping lab, rapid proto printers, soft goods lab and project space for accelerator startup opportunities.

"PCH's product development services make us very unique, and we are delighted to expand this service to better serve our clients in the US market," PCH chief executive Liam Casey said.

"San Francisco is already a world-class center for design excellence, and is an ideal location for PCH to serve our existing clients in Silicon Valley and attract more entrepreneurial partnerships. Expanding our services to California with this acquisition allows us to respond even more quickly to client requirements in their time zone."

Cork-based PCH designs, builds and ships consumer electronics devices and accessories on behalf of some of the world's largest brands. Although its headquarters are in Ireland, it has significant  operations in China.