EMC announces 350-job expansion

COMPUTER storage giant EMC announced plans yesterday to locate up to 350 hi-tech jobs in Cork’s newest office campus.

One of Munster’s biggest private employers, the Ovens-based company said the jobs in a recently acquired division will be based in O’Flynn Construction’s new 12,000 square metre office campus at the Ballincollig Town Centre, less than a mile from its European headquarters.

The Barracks Square campus, which is being built around the town’s historic Murphy Barracks parade square, has the potential to create at least another 800 jobs, bringing total employment in the office development alone to almost 1,200, said O’Flynn Construction managing director Michael O’Flynn.

During a tour of the campus yesterday, EMC said they plan to move 50 people working with California-based VM Ware, a virtualisation software development firm recently acquired by EMC, from a nearby factory into one of Barracks Square’s three completed office blocks.

The rest of the jobs will come on stream over the following year.

John Dineen, EMC’s European director of real estate, said the jobs could have been based anywhere in the world.

But the Ballincollig Town Centre, with its mix of residential and shopping choices on the one site, was best suited to the international workforce, he said.

Mr O’Flynn said his own company also plans to move its headquarters from Model Farm Road into a neighbouring barracks building early next year.

Bank of Ireland also plan to move from their existing premises on Ballincollig’s main street into a more spacious office in the new campus.

It was hoped that a Government department might decentralise to Barracks Square. But Mr O’Flynn said that would not now happen.

“It’s a great pity that we won’t have a Government department here in a place where we can cater for that development, but we don’t need it here,” he said.

Work was advancing yesterday on four more office blocks around the former parade square. However, the campus is already close to 70% reserved or occupied.

Ballincollig Enterprise Board welcomed yesterday’s announcement by EMC.

“We would like to congratulate O’Flynn Construction on securing such a high profile employer into the heart of the town,” a spokesman said.

Work on the massive 90-acre town centre project started in 2003.

Phase one of the shopping element anchored by Dunnes Stores, and a major residential element including homes and apartments, are already complete.

Construction on the rest of the site is expected to take at least another four years with plans for a second phase of retail development advancing.

Work on a new two-storey bar and bistro and a striking coffee pavilion near the office complex is almost complete while a medical health centre is at the planning stage.