Second major jobs boost for Donegal Gaeltacht

19 May, 2008

min read

Forward Emphasis International Ltd, a business outsourcing company, is to establish its second contact centre on the Gaoth Dobhair Business Park in Co. Donegal that will lead to the creation of 100 new jobs over the next three years. The announcement was

made by the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Mary Coughlan, TD, today (19 Bealtaine 2008). The company is being grant assisted by Údarás na Gaeltachta.

Forward Emphasis International Ltd. is a business processing outsourcing company that provides telephone solutions, direct mail and back office services to the banking and financial services sector, government and not-for-profit organisations in the UK. The company currently employs 200 people at its headquarters in Malin Head in Co. Donegal and offers businesses a range of integrated services including inbound call handling, outbound market research and back office administration. The company provides services to some of the largest FTSE 100 banking and financial services businesses in the UK.

Tánaiste Mary Coughlan said at the press launch “This decision by Forward Emphasis International to expand to the Donegal Gaeltacht is tremendous news for the area and the local workforce. This company has a proven success track record in Donegal and the new facility in Gaoth Dobhair will enable the company to significantly expand its business. I commend Údarás na Gaeltachta in attracting this company to locate in the Gaoth Dobhair area and on its record of supporting job creating businesses in the Donegal Gaeltacht. This particular announcement is significant when taken in conjunction with recent job announcements by Euro Iompú here on the business park and the announcement last week by my colleague Pat the Cope Gallagher of 135 jobs for Dungloe with the decision of Randox Laboratories to expand into Donegal. I also understand that some of the companies currently operating in Gaoth Dobhair have expansion plans and that there may be further jobs announcements for this area in the very near future.”

Pádraig Ó hAoláin, CEO of Údarás na Gaeltachta, commented, “We are very pleased to be able to facilitate and support the expansion of Forward Emphasis International to the West Donegal Gaeltacht. The number and quality of jobs that this company will create is vitally important to the area. The number of brand names on this company’s clientbase are a testament to the quality and level of service the company provides. The establishment of this business is further evidence of the success of our development strategy which targets the modern services sector for employment generation investment.”

Patrick Loughrey, Managing Director of Forward Emphasis International, said, “We will begin recruiting at the end of the summer and will be in operation on the Business Park by the end of the year. The availability of a ‘ready to be occupied’ contact centre on the Údarás na Gaeltachta Business Park and the availability of an already suitably trained workforce in the area were major factors in the company’s decision to locate it’s new centre in Gaoth Dobhair.”