Mixed jobs news in Cork

There was mixed news on the jobs front in Cork yesterday.

A total of 34 jobs will be lost following the decision by detergent manufacture IDC to close its plant at Little Island. However, up to 40 jobs are to be created in two separate investments in the same Cork office and retail park.

Coffee giant Starbucks has confirmed plans to open its first outlet in Cork at the City Gate development in Mahon next month.

And international gym franchise Energie Fitness also plans to open its first Cork outlet, also in City Gate, before Christmas.

Both companies were attracted to City Gate to serve the 2,000-strong people working there for companies such as Dell, Qualcomm, and EMC.

Energie Fitness has over 120 outlets in the UK and several in Ireland. It plans to invest over €1m in fitting out a state-of-the-art gym located across from DFS Sofas, which opened at City Gate last December.

“It’s a real vote of confidence in Cork and the region when you see premium, world-class brands committing to doing business here,” City Gate developer John Cleary said.

“We are focused on creating a business environment among the best in Europe at City Gate.”

At the IDC plant, previously known as Henkel, a 30-day consultation period has begun with staff.

A spokeswoman for parent company Warwick Chemicals, based in Wales, said they regretted the closure but that lower market demand and the relatively high cost of manufacture were the main reasons behind the decision.