Ennis to become e-cigarette hub

Ennis looks set to become one of Ireland’s e-cigarette hubs, with an Armagh-based company announcing the creation of a major distribution and sales centre in the Clare town.

Kool Breath Ltd also indicated its intention to relocate from Germany the manufacturing of their products.

The parent company, Kool Brands Ltd, Northern Ireland, announced the creation of 22 new jobs as part of a major expansion into the Republic of Ireland last week.

The company is projecting massive growth in the coming months, in terms of sales people employed.

We're hiring 22 new positions including sales, warehouse staff & administration.

Enquiries [e-mail] #jobfairy

— kool Breath (@Kool_Breath) August 30, 2015

Fourteen of the planned jobs will be based in a new central warehouse facility at the Quin Road Business Park in Ennis, with the remainder spread throughout the country in sales and administration roles.

According to company founder Kieran Dynes, the jobs are just the tip of the iceberg for the business, with plans to bring manufacturing to Ennis already being explored.

The company manufactures a range of e-liquid products in Germany and is looking to bring its manufacturing base to Ireland — both Ennis and Armagh.

The exact size and number of jobs which could be created by the proposed manufacturing centre is not known, but it could rival the 138 jobs promised by Rossport Pharmaceutical for its €5.2m production plant in Cornamona in Co Galway.

“I have a lot of friends in Ennis and when the opportunity to rent space came up, I jumped on it,” said Mr Dynes.

“We looked at Dublin — we have a small warehouse in Dublin already — but the cost of renting in Ennis was a very important factor for us.

“Down the road we would like to speak to relevant agencies with a view to helping us to expand our presence.

“We are looking at 14 jobs in Ennis, mostly for warehouse staff, admin, and sales, but we are also looking at having our own manufacturing facility there in the near future. That will bring in more work and benefits to the area.

“The whole idea of all of this [expansion of the company] is about bringing manufacturing a lot closer to home and to give Ireland that jobs boost, whether in Ennis or Armagh, and hopefully in both places.

“We have looked at equipment that we can take in here so it is certainly on the horizon in the future.”

The company is undergoing a major expansion of its overall operations in Ireland.

Kool Breath is available in 28 stores in Ireland but plans to cover 200 outlets by the end of the year.