Tag Archives: Shannon Free Zone

COUNTY Councillors at this week’s meeting of Shannon Municipal District slammed plans to house refugees in an industrial building at the Shannon Free Zone and also criticised the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) for the secrecy it has maintained around the plans. The meeting also heard warnings that a lack of information can give an opportunity for misinformation to flourish, and give the far right an opening to exploit. Following the criticism at Tuesday’s Shannon Municipal District meeting DCEDIY told the Clare Champion it has no option but to take advantage of any type of accommodation available, while it said there would be communication with local representatives before the facility does open. At Tuesday’s meeting Sinn Féin’s Donna McGettigan said the Department’s decision not to make information available was leading to “all sorts of innuendo”. She also said councillors have been called liars when they have said they don’t know what the plans for accommodation in …

ON Friday Nationwide on RTÉ One television, will broadcast a special programme to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Shannon Free Zone. The largest multi-sectoral business park outside of Dublin, Shannon Free Zone is managed by Shannon Group’s property company, Shannon Commercial Properties. The Zone was founded in 1959 and was the brainchild of Dr Brendan O’Regan. In an effort to entice foreign direct investment to the region, and provide much-needed jobs, Dr O’Regan came up with the concept of developing a special industrial zone with tax incentives adjacent to Shannon Airport. Six decades later, Dr O ’Reagan’s legacy means there are now over 170 companies located in the Zone, employing over 8,000 people. Presenter Mary Kennedy explores how the zone has grown and developed, meeting Ray O’Driscoll, Managing Director of Shannon Commercial Properties, part of the Shannon Group, who fills her in on the history of the Shannon Free Zone, current developments and future plans. Ms Kennedy also visits Atlantic …

The Shannon Free Zone has become home of the country’s first drive-thru Starbucks as the US coffee house chain opened the doors of its latest outlet to the public. The 204sq metre unit developed by Shannon Group subsidiary, Shannon Commercial Properties, will employ 15 people as it becomes the latest page to turn in the evolving story of the Shannon Free Zone. The US based giant, which is among the world’s largest coffee companies and coffee house chains, operates over 20,000 outlets globally but this is the very first drive-thru in the Republic of Ireland. Starbucks opened its first Irish store in 2005. Located in Shannon Free Zone ‘West’, the single storey unit will include outdoor – as well as indoor – seating, ideal for the heatwave currently gripping the nation. Given its location in one of the country’s largest industrial parks, the unit also, appropriately, comprise a coffee dock/meeting hub that will service the entire industrial estate and prove …

An aircraft interior modification and refurbishment specialist, previously trading as indigenous Irish company UJet Group at the Shannon Free Zone, has announced that it is expanding its business operation and establishing a European Hub at Shannon Free Zone. The merger with US company STS Component Solutions will lead to the creation of 28 jobs at the Shannon operations over the next two years. STS Component Solutions is a division of STS Aviation Group, which currently offer materials management, engineering services, technical support, original equipment manufacturer distribution, and supply chain management solutions to the aerospace industry based in Florida. Making the announcement, Mark Robertson, president, STS UJet said, “We are delighted to be expanding our operation to Shannon Free Zone. Our new facilities provide us with the space to grow and expand into the future. Within two years we expect to more than double our workforce to 50 people, which currently stands at 22 people. aircraft interior modification and refurbishment specialist, previously tradin

The inward investment potential of the Shannon Free Zone is set to be significantly boosted following the sod-turning by Shannon Commercial Properties for a €10 million state-of-the-art new office block. The high-spec 55,000 sq ft facility, built to LEED (Leadership in energy and environmental design) Gold standards and located on the newly named Airport Avenue, is the first speculative new-build by Shannon Commercial Properties, a Shannon Group Plc company. The build is part of a €25 million first phase redevelopment programme at the Free Zone. Launched by Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Pat Breen TD, the facility will be built to top international standards and is designed for FDI and Irish enterprises seeking high-end office space. In excess of 120 construction jobs will be sustained during construction. The site, located adjacent to Shannon Airport perimeter which was demolished ahead of this investment, work on which will be completed by in May of next year. …

A €3.5 million development of 100,000 sq ft of industrial space in the Shannon Free Zone has been announced by Shannon Commercial Properties. A Shannon Group plc company, Shannon Commercial Properties is on track to complete the €21 million first phase development of the Shannon Free Zone by the end of next year. The company has embarked on the development of a block of industrial buildings (Bay 37), formerly known as the Boart building, adjoining airport lands. The site will be developed for office space, storage, distribution and warehousing. The project will be completed by May of next year and will support 70 jobs during construction. This latest development adds to the ambitious programme that is delivering significant new advanced manufacturing, warehousing and office space solutions at the Shannon Free Zone to support the drive for inward investment into the region. Ray O’Driscoll, CEO of Shannon Commercial Properties said, “This latest development is another project in what has been a very …

WHILE Intel will not comment on how their redundancy programme will affect its Shannon operation, it is expected that job losses are likely to be proportionate to the numbers going throughout the company. Intel is laying off 11% of workers around the world and there are around 250 employees in Shannon. An Intel spokesperson said on Wednesday that voluntary redundancy will be available to people within certain criteria, while information on job losses at their individual sites is not currently available. Shannon is a core European research and development site for Intel’s communications and intelligent systems businesses. The company first came to Shannon in 2000, when there were around 40 employees. The work at Shannon is highly skilled, with 95% of workers there educated to third level or higher. According to its website, there are three main focus areas in Shannon: communications and storage infrastructure group, automotive solutions division and a retail solutions division. Accounts filed at the end of last …

MANY of the buildings in Shannon Free Zone were built decades ago and are in poor shape but with €21 million to be invested in the next 24 months and more to follow, Shannon Group says it will soon be far more suited to the needs of 21st Century industry. Demolition work on some of the old stock begun this week and Shannon Group says the project will significantly strengthen the hand of development agencies in attracting major investment. The agency says the €21m first phase of the redevelopment will take place over the next two years and will support more than 250 construction-related jobs, including the redevelopment of a 12 acre site. As part of the initial phase, two projects have been planned at a combined cost of in excess of €10 million. These include a 40,000ft² Grade A office block and a 30,000ft² advance technology manufacturing unit. Work on the 12 acre site commenced with the demolition of …