Ennis IT firm to create 350 jobs in the mid-west

THE mid-west brought a respite to the private sector jobs bloodbath yesterday with an Ennis-based company announcing that it will add 350 to its workforce over the next 18 months.

Up to 115 new positions have already been created this year, bringing the current workforce in Ennis to 315.

Microsemi said the new staff members will be deployed in manufacturing, sales and technical support.

Microsemi, incorporated in Delaware in 1960 and headquartered in Irvine, California, designs and manufactures high performance analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits (ICs) and high reliability (hi-rel) semiconductors.

High reliability chips are used in devices that need to perform under the most extreme conditions in which failures can be very costly, for example, chips for regulating pacemakers, high temperature diodes for oil drilling and transistors for aircraft engines.

Tánaiste Mary Coughlan commenting on the development said: “I would like to congratulate the dynamic management team and highly skilled workforce of Microsemi in Ennis, whose hard work and dedication had led to this expansion. This is excellent news for Ennis and the greater Mid-West region and is testament to the depth and quality of the workforce available here. This expansion is a clear demonstration of Ireland’s premier position as a leading location for premium overseas hi-tech manufacturing investments.”

James J Peterson, president and chief executive officer of Microsemi Corporation — of which Microsemi Ireland is a subsidiary — paid tribute to their Irish operation and IDA Ireland, saying: “Microsemi Ireland is a flagship facility acting as a gateway between the European and US marketplaces for Microsemi. It is a shining example within the greater Microsemi family in terms of its day-to-day operational efficiency and long-term potential for growth.

“The size and scale of our investment in the Ennis facility is a direct reflection of the calibre and talent of our existing workforce coupled with our faith in the exceptional standard of the high quality recruits available within this region.”