CADBURY, makers of chocolate and confectionery products in Ireland since 1932, has a workforce of 1,600 between its two plants in Coolock, Co Dublin, and Rathmore, Co Kerry.
It has remained one of the States biggest employers. In 1995, it estimates its wage bill was £41 million and it paid a further £3.9 million in employers' PRSI to the Exchequer.
Most Cadbury staff are based Dublin, where best selling brands Time Out, Twirl, Flake and Dairy Milk are manufactured. There are 140 workers at Rathmore.
Cadbury Ireland, a subsidiary of British confectionery and drinks group Cadbury Schweppes, says it makes a billion chocolate bars a year.
In 1995, the Coolock plant produced 40,000 tonnes of chocolate, using 100 million litres of milk and 165,000 tonnes of Irish beet. Cadbury is one of "Irish Sugar's" biggest customers.
While the parent group does not disclose profit figures for its subsidiaries, chairman Mr Dominic Cadbury said profits at the Irish company had continued to improve for the first six months' of 1995, despite slight reductions in the Irish confectionery market and slower growth in exports.
Cadbury Ireland has enjoyed phenomenal success recently, due, to the popularity of Time Out, its latest chocolate brand.
Launched as part of an £11 million investment in 1993, the company has been forced to expand its capacity and is spending a further £20 million on a new plant beside its Coolock base.
The new facility is due to be completed in September and, according to a company spokesman yesterday, Cadbury is likely to recruit more workers at that stage.
With the pound trading at up to 103p sterling throughout most of 1995, the group's managing director, Mr Donal Byrne has often publicly expressed his concerns about the loss of competitiveness caused by the high exchange, rate.