Galway received a positive boost yesterday with the announcement that leading US telecommunications company Genband will be investing €8 million in establishing an international headquarters and business centre in the city and creating more than 100 new jobs.
There were smiles and plenty of praise all around at the Clayton hotel as the announcement was officially made by Minister for Social Protection Éamon Ó Cuív who gave a warm welcome to Charles Voght, president and CEO of Genband, and thanked him for “offering excellent career opportunities to Galway and its surrounding communities”.
Genband, a leading developer of internet protocol (IP ) infrastructure and service solutions, plans to establish its international headquarters and business services centre in Galway. It is believed Genband is currently in the process of finalising its review of a building in the Galway Technological Park in the Parkmore area of the city, and that once this is complete there could be senior management staff in place at the facility by early January.
The Galway facility will create new jobs in finance, supply chain management, customer support, software development, HR, legal, and administrative activities.
Speaking at the announcement, Minister Ó Cuív said: “The establishment of this operation is a very positive boost for the west and will complement the existing base of telecommunications companies here. As a small economy, Ireland is pro-business and proud to be to the forefront of the minds of global business leaders as they make critical investment decisions. Genband’s role in transforming telecommunications networks through IP perfectly aligns with Ireland’s status as a Smart economy.”
Also welcoming the good news, Minister for Enterprise, Trade, and Innovation, Batt O’Keeffe, said the investment proved that Ireland is “very much open for business” and that our enterprise economy remains vibrant.
According to Genband president and CEO, Mr Vogt, it is the “breadth of high-quality” and “skilled human resources” in Galway that made it an ideal setting for the company’s expansion. “We look forward to being a part of the Galway community and would like to thank the Irish Government and IDA Ireland for their support, which enabled this expansion to come to fruition without delay.”
“Genband’s investment is very significant for Galway and builds on the excellent telecommunications expertise available in the region,” said IDA CEO Barry O’Leary, who added, “Ireland is experiencing strong growth international IT services which is contributing significantly to Ireland’s impressive export performance. Of the 72 investments made by IDA, this is the 25th investment involving 100-plus jobs that has been made by IDA in 2010, and IDA is delighted to welcome this telecommunications leader to Galway and looks forward to supporting their continued global expansion.”
Galway City Mayor and councillor Michael Crowe said the decision by Genband will not only create 100 jobs but will help create many more in the wider economy providing a range of goods and services. He added: “The creation of over 100 new high quality jobs is indeed very welcome and like Minister Ó Cuív said, Ireland and significantly Galway have, despite recession, a real pull factor and I think it is that combination of talent, technology, tax, the ease of doing business, and the quality of life here... Galway City Council and Galway County Council are ready and willing to provide support to ensure Genband can grow and develop this current phase of its growth and expansion into Europe.”
Genband, with is headquarters in Plano, Texas, has operations in 50 countries. It offers market-leading switching, networking, and service solution with products deployed to 600 custmomer networks spanning more than 80 countries.
