Fears for 45 jobs at mobile phone technology Altobridge

A mobile phone technology company chaired by former tánaiste Dick Spring has gone into receivership in Tralee, Co Kerry, with the loss of 45 jobs locally and the expected loss of all 130 jobs worldwide.

The company employees in Kerry were informed yesterday their jobs were gone.

Altobridge, which specialised in rural connectivity and other technology and had offices in Malaysia, North America and China, was one of the flagship companies at Kerry Technology park.

It had growing markets in Africa. In 2011 the company had a turnover of $16.1 million (€11.82 million) and raised €12 million (€8.81 million) in investment from Intel and the World Bank.

It was placed into receivership on Friday and its receiver is Dublin chartered accountant Jim Luby McStay.

Kerry South Fine Gael TD Brendan Griffin called on Enterprise Ireland and the IDA to take immediate action to help the workers find alternative employment in similar industries in the southwest region.

Mr Griffin said the news of Altobridge going into receivership is a hard blow for Kerry and the people employed by the company, “especially as Altobridge has been held up in recent years as a Kerry success story”.

He said the State’s employment agencies should immediately step in to assist the workers by making sure similar companies in the region are made aware of the individual skillsets now available to prospective employers.