DPD Ireland has announced the investment of €13 million at its headquarters in Athlone.
The investment will see the building and sortation facility double in size from 50,000 to 100,000 square feet, creating an additional 100 jobs over five years for Athlone, with 70 being filled between now and Christmas.
On completion, the expansion will enable the company to triple its daily hub handling capacity from 60,000 to 150,000. Positions include sorting technicians, drivers, and administrative staff and will be located at the headquarters in Athlone and throughout the country.
Brendan O’Neill, CEO of DPD Ireland, said: “Our vision for DPD Ireland is as ambitious as ever. The expansion itself involves an investment of over €13 million in our headquarters in Athlone. Online shopping is dramatically increasing, with Irish consumers expecting to spend over €13 billion on e-commerce by 2020. Our business plan reflects this change in consumer behaviour.
"We recently invested €1.9 million in our company’s IT scanning system which ensures that we maintain our position at the forefront of innovation in delivery technology.”
Richard Bruton, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, was present to welcome the job-creation announcement, and said: “Online trading is growing rapidly in Ireland and across the world, and this offers massive opportunities to Irish businesses. Reports indicate that Irish consumers are spending over €6billion online each year.
"We have put in place a range of measures through our Action Plan for Jobs to support Irish businesses to take greater advantage of this massive euro opportunity. Today’s very welcome announcement by DPD that it is creating 200 extra jobs as a result of this growth is an important boost for the Midlands, and provides a great example of what is possible in this area. We will continue to work hard to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by online trading for Irish business and jobs.”
DPD Ireland has 38 depots throughout the country and handles in excess of 14 million parcels per year. The company currently employs almost 1,000 people.
