Forecourt retail expansion to create 300 jobs

Around 300 new jobs are to be created with the expansion of a leading forecourt retailer, it was announced today.

Irish company Applegreen launched a recruitment drive after landing lucrative contracts to operate three motorway service areas in counties Dublin, Louth and Kildare.

The firm is part of the SuperStop consortium, which was awarded a public private partnership contract by the National Roads Authority (NRA).

The full and part-time positions will be mainly in the food service area, with additional jobs in retail, cleaning and maintenance.

Each of the service areas – located at Lusk, Castlebellingham and Enfield - will have fuelling areas, cafes, rest areas and playgrounds.

Construction is now in the final stages, with the Lusk northbound site expected to be the first to open in September or October.

The project represents an investment of more than €70m on behalf of the consortium, which also includes Top Oil and Pierse Contracting.

Applegreen’s director of operations Joe Barrett said the investment was a demonstration of the firm’s commitment to providing quality to Irish drivers.

“Nothing could give us more pleasure than to create 300 jobs, particularly in these constrained economic times,” he added.

Applegreen is the country’s largest independent forecourt retailer, with 57 sites trading in the Republic and an expanding network in the UK.

Established in 2004, it currently employs more than 650 people.