LIMERICK can expect up to 1,000 new jobs by Christmas as a third significant announcement is scheduled for next Monday with as many as three more companies set to unveil their plans in October.
The good news comes after 300 new jobs were announced through the arrival of Fazzi Healthcare Services this week.
The Limerick Post has since learned that Jobs and Enterprise Minister Mary Mitchell O’Connor, will return to the city to announce the arrival of another “marquee company” next Monday.
Industry sources have confirmed that two more “significant announcements” are expected during October, with a third new enterprise awaiting final sign-off from a major US-based company.
Announcing the 300 new jobs this week, Fazzi Healthcare Services founder and managing partner Dr Robert Fazzi said that foreign companies like his are choosing Limerick because of its people, the connectivity offered by Shannon Airport and the opportunities available.
He said that when he arrived in Limerick, he was instantly drawn to the city and its people.
And he stressed that the decision to move to Ireland had nothing to do with the Corporate Tax system.
Dr Fazzi told The Limerick Post: “For us, it was the staff. Ireland has a well-educated staff that are passionate and care about what they are doing, have great work ethic and are fun.
“That’s what you want. You want to have a place where people really care about what they are doing, have a great talent but also have a commitment and excitement about things and that is what we have here.
“Limerick is so alive and so safe, we want our employees to walk out on the street and experience that vibe. There is a music and a buzz that this city has and that was a huge and very important draw for us.”
Confirming that the company will be seeking to expand very quickly, Dr Fazzi said that “we are going to grow further. Limerick is the perfect place to be. It’s right near Shannon Airport and you have a wealth of wonderful staff here.
“Coding and other areas in the healthcare sector are going to grow, so we have to employ a workforce that we can draw on and we also have some other opportunities in Ireland.
“People are getting older and there is a huge growth in the number of people who need healthcare and that growth will continue for the next 35 years. Therefore we are going to have to grow those people working in the sector.”
Citing the performance of Limerick on the IDA jobs scale, Minister Mitchell O’Connor said that employment in the Mid West is up 3.6 per cent this year and Limerick is “brimming with optimism”.
“Limerick has the fastest growth rate in jobs which is a clear indication that Ireland is the best placed country for attracting investment post Brexit,” she added.
