Smartphone customer support provider Eishtec is to create 250 new jobs in Wexford by next October as part of a major expansion in the southeast.
The company, which already employs 400 people at the Cleaboy Business Park in Waterford, will build a new facility in Drinagh, Co Wexford. Recruitment is already under way for the positions, which include service and technical support roles.
The growth comes after Eishtec secured an expansion to an existing contract with EE, the company behind the UK telecommunications brands Orange, T-Mobile and EE. EE is a new brand that recently launched the UK’s first mobile 4G network.
Eishtec co-founder Brian Barry said the firm was "particularly encouraged" by the growth, which has seen it expand from just nine employees last year.
The news will be a welcome boost for the region, which has suffered serious job blows in recent years, most notably the closure of Talk Talk’s call centre in Waterford’s IDA industrial estate in October with the loss of 575 jobs.
Mr Barry co-founded Eishtec in 2011 with former Talk Talk directors Heather Reynolds and Colm Tracey.
Minister for Jobs Richard Bruton described the company as "a great role model" for what the Government was trying to achieve in the Irish economy. "This is an Irish company founded by three former employees of a multinational, winning business in a highly competitive market, and growing employment in a part of the country which has suffered from high levels of unemployment," he said.
Eishtec will expand its support for Orange and T-Mobile customers with smartphone service and technical care.
“We believe this expansion is testament to the skills and positive attitude of the people we’ve recruited," Ms Reynolds said. "This is another significant win for Eishtec, the southeast and Ireland."
The news was welcomed by Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin, a Labour Party TD for Wexford.
"On the eve of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, themed for stability, jobs and growth, this shows that Wexford is open for business," he said. "Just as Ireland is making a difference in Europe, Wexford continues to make a difference in Ireland."
