Campaign to bring 2,500 jobs to Wexford within the next five years
BUSINESS leaders and council officials outlined the advantages of County Wexford as an employment location to state agencies and executives of national and multinational firms at the headquarters of international management consultants, Morgan McKinley in Dublin.
The event was part of an ongoing campaign by Invest Wexford, a new arm of Wexford County Council, to bring at least 500 high quality jobs to the county every year for the next five years.
Local authority officials have joined forces with the new County Chamber of Commerce to draw employment and investment to the county.
Council chief executive Tom Enright and Ed Murphy of Invest Wexford addressed about 80 specially invited guests including IDA and Enterprise Ireland officials, and spelled out the advantages of Wexford for business.
The county already has more than 70 foreign-owned multinationals employing 12,455 people, housing is cheaper by as much as 40 per cent compared to Dublin, 300 hectares of zoned development land is available, 23 per cent of the population has a third-level qualification and Wexford has a record level of sunshine and offers a good lifestyle.
The officials spoke about some of the major infrastructural developments in the county over the past 10 years including by-pass roads with other landmark project planned for Enniscorthy, New Ross, Gorey and Wexford, including the Trinity Wharf development in Wexford town.
Wexford County Council and the newly-organised County Chamber have teamed up with international consultants Morgan McGinley to promote the benefits of the county to investors and business decision-makers across the world.
During the two-hour showcase, hosted by Morgan McKinley, they said County Wexford is tipped to become Ireland’s top inward investment location in 2020.
Ed Murphy of Invest Wexford has already promoted the county to the major pharma, IT and finance companies in Ireland, the UK, Europe and the US.
The panel of Wexford speakers at the showcase included Brian Byrne, managing director of Lantern Events, Natasha Hughes of BNY Mellon, David Cooney of Morgan McKinley,
Dr Edwina Dunne of Grandpad Europe, Aidan Conway of United Health Group, Dr. Karen O’Connor of Datapac, Colm Neville, chairman of Visit Wexford, Christian Pollard of OPUS Fund Services and Pauline Oakes of Interger Holdings Corporation who spoke positively and enthusiastically about their experiences of the county.
Questions on various aspects of the county’s economy and investment prospects were put to the speakers by Ed Murphy, Ian Kehoe, editor of The Currency and by executives from Morgan
McKinley.
Among the attendance were Fiona Lewis of County Wexford Chamber of Commerce, Anne Doyle, television celebrity and journalist who is an ambassador for County Wexford, Brendan McDonald, South East Regional manager of the IDA, Brian Fives of Enterprise Ireland, Alan Quirke, a native of Enniscorthy town, who is Ireland South East development officer appointed by the local authorities of the south east region, John O’Connor of Enniscorthy Enterprise and Technology Park and Hatch Lab, Gorey, James Gahan, chairman of Enniscorthy Chamber of Commerce, Maree Lyng of AIB Bank, Bridget Purcell of Purcell O’Leary Recruitment, Dublin, Mary Carroll of I Determine, Tim Greig of BNY Mellon, Stephanie Fitzgerald-Smith of Bank of Ireland, Professor Kevin Whelan of Notre Dame university, Michael Cullen of Irish Images Film Fx, Billy Sweetman of PWC, Ciaran Sheridan of Sheridan Insurances , Neil Hughes of Hughes Baker Tilly and David Power, HR Consultant.
Ed Murphy said Invest Wexford will make further presentations at the Brandon House Hotel, New Ross on Thursday March 5 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and the M11 Business Campus, Gorey on Thursday March 12 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.