Company closure costs 70 jobs

Jimmy Woulfe, Mid-West Correspondent

Two weeks ago, 140 job losses were announced at the Kantoher chicken processing plant in Co Limerick, a decision that will lead to the loss of a further 60 jobs in supply companies.

Yesterday’s announcement involves the German-owned Pan European Communications which is located in the Shannon Free Zone industrial park.

The company operates a multi-lingual call centre and is a subsidiary of Deutsche Post WorldNet, which also owns the express shipping company DHL.

One worker at the Shannon plant, Heiko Truemper, moved from his native Germany two years ago to work here. “I really like Ireland and live in Ennis which is a lovely town. This is a great shock and I did not expect it and have to think what I will now do,” he said. “I will try and find work here as I would like to stay on in Ireland, but if I can’t get another job I will have to consider going back to Germany. It is very sad.”

A spokesman for Shannon Development said it was disappointed at the announcement, but was confident the workers would find alternative work in other multi-lingual call companies in Shannon due to their language skills.

“We are very disappointed at the job losses. We had been working with local management for some months on a restructuring proposal. Regrettably they were not successful,” said Frank Larking of Shannon Development.

In a brief statement, Pan European Communications said it had sustained ongoing losses since starting up the Shannon operation in 1998.

“These significant losses coupled with ongoing difficult trading conditions made closure inevitable.”

The company said it would work with its workers, who are non-union, to help them secure work.

Shannon Development said that employment in the Free Zone industrial park had grown to 7,500 last year and companies located there pay out around 400 million in annual wages.

Meanwhile, West Limerick senator Michael Finucane called on the owners of the doomed Kantoher chicken plant, Kerry Foods, to give the buildings to the community so a local group can try and source a new industry to locate there.

Mr Finucane said when Kerry Foods took over Kantoher in 1991, paid a nominal £1 for the business. “They could now return it to the community for a nominal sum with a view to getting replacement industry to set up there.”