Westport based retail chain and knitwear manufacturer, Carraig Donn, yesterday afternoon announced the creation of 30 jobs at its knitwear manufacturing plant in Westport.
Recruitment for machinists, warehousing staff and knitters as well as a number of management roles will begin immediately.
The company said it is their intention to bring the jobs on stream later this month. The new jobs will bring the total workforce of the group to 450.
Announcing the jobs, Pat Hughes, managing director of Carraig Donn said: “We are delighted to announce the creation of 30 new manufacturing jobs as we continue to expand as a company. Our staff are central to our success and we are hugely appreciative of their hard work and effort. We are also very grateful to Enterprise Ireland for the support they have provided at all stages of our organisational development. The directors of Carraig Donn are committed to improving the efficiency of our facility and this investment helps to protect the current jobs in Ireland while putting Carraig Donn in a stronger position to compete in a very challenging global market”.
Commenting on the jobs announcement, An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD said: “It is wonderful to see an indigenous Mayo company as successful as Carraig Donn. Carraig Donn represents all that is good in a highly competitive retail and export market and proves that Irish companies can compete on the world stage in manufacturing. The jobs announced today represent 30 new people in employment in the county – 30 new households which will be given a new lease of life.
"This Mayo company has continued to go from strength to strength in the last number of years and this is a credit to the Hughes family. I have had the privilege of opening a number of Carraig Donn outlets in the recent past. Great Irish companies are now competing all over the world and our exports continue to grow – Carraig Donn is a great example of this. The Government will continue to promote pro-business policies and we hope to create 40,000 jobs this year”.
Westport TD and Minister for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring noted the importance of Carraig Donn as an employer in the area. Commenting he said: “I offer my congratulations to Carraig Donn on the creation of more jobs. This is great news for Westport, for Mayo and indeed for Ireland’s economic recovery. Carraig Donn has a proud tradition in Westport and are central to the economic well-being of our town. I wish them every success on this current endeavour and also continued success into the future”.
