Hitting new heights despite the recession

A Kerry factory, which has become a global leader in container crane production, is beating the recession and intense competition on the world market to reach the highest employment level in its 54-year history.

The workforce at the Liebherr Container Cranes Ltd factory in Killarney stands at 607, with a three-cycle shift system in operation to meet the demands of production, which is now at capacity.

The German-owned company, believed to be the longest established multinational in Ireland, has survived recessions, slumps in the international market, three-day weeks, and other difficulties to become one of the country’s most successful manufacturing industries.