Laois man instrumental in creation of 50 jobs for Portarlington through connections with US company – Magni Group
A Portarlington man has been instrumental in the decision of a US company, The Magni Group, to set up an automotive coatings manufacturing and R&D facility in Portarlington, Co Laois.
The move will see The Magni Group create 50 jobs in the town in a multi-million euro investment over the next five years. The ‘Connector’ Kieran Leavy will in turn receive a financial reward from the Irish Government of €75,000 or €1,500 per job created for making the connection.
Kieran Leavy operates a security company in Portarlington and met the company directors socially in Dublin some years ago. He kept in touch and when he heard that they were in expansion mode he suggested that Ireland was a great place to do business. He also contacted ConnectIreland having already registered as a ‘Connector’ at the GAA Annual Congress where ConnectIreland had a stand.
The company spoke with ConnectIreland’s FDI team, and following extensive negotiations and a number of site visits, The Magni Group decided that Portarlington was right for their business.
Kieran was pivotal to the decision to establish their operations in Portarlington and he says:
“They were initially considering the Czech Republic but having spoken with ConnectIreland and visiting the area, they were impressed by what they saw and heard. They love Ireland and it ticks all the boxes for what they need for their business.”
Kieran’s involvement in the GAA also played a role in his introduction to ConnectIreland and subsequently in the company’s decision to choose Ireland. Paraic Duffy, Director General of the GAA says:
“We were delighted to hear that a GAA event was central to a connection that has led to the creation of jobs in Portarlington. I know the GAA is very close to Kieran’s heart and it was fitting that it was at the GAA Annual Congress that he was introduced to ConnectIreland. This programme gave him an avenue for his connection, which in turn created 50 jobs for his hometown.”
The Magni Group is the global leader in corrosion resistant, automotive coatings and currently has 23 locations in eight different countries, all of which will be supported by the new Irish manufacturing facility. Clients already on their books include General Motors and Ford, while new specifications at Toyota and Volkswagen are expected to dramatically grow The Magni Group.
ConnectIreland is an incentivised referral programme which is managed by IDA Ireland. Under this programme, anybody can refer a company to www.connectireland.com and, if successful, the person will receive a significant financial reward based on the number of jobs created.
Since ConnectIreland was launched just 16 months ago, over 8,000 people at home and abroad have registered as ‘Connectors’ i.e. have signed up to actively seek out companies that might invest in job creation ventures in Ireland. Over 700 companies were suggested to ConnectIreland and, currently, the company is in active discussions with over 50 companies that are seriously considering Ireland as a location for their European operations.
About Magni
The Magni Group is the global leader in corrosion resistant, automotive coatings. Virtually every automobile assembled around the world uses the Magni Groups’ coatings. The Magni Group currently has 23 locations located within 8 countries. North America and Europe are the largest markets but China and the Far East are also increasing. Magni Group is proposing to build a custom designed 40,000 square foot manufacturing facility that can easily be expanded to 80,000 square feet within the next 5 years in Portarlington, Co Laois. Magni Group also has plans to expand its research capabilities by installing a state of the art quality and research laboratory. The laboratory will be outfitted with the most up to date analytical equipment and will staff numerous scientists. The Magni Group is committed to innovation and the new laboratory will work directly with both the US and German R&D laboratories. It has its US HQ in Mitchigan, USA and the Irish facility is to be the new European centre for the company. See www.themagnigroup.com.
About ConnectIreland:
ConnectIreland is an innovative way to create new jobs in Ireland by harnessing the power of the global Diaspora – at home and abroad. The mission is to attract foreign companies that are expanding internationally to Ireland through ordinary people – creating jobs and securing the future of the Irish economy. The Irish Government will financially reward those who attract new, sustainable jobs into the country. The objective of the initiative, part of the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs, is to bring 5,000 new jobs to Ireland within the next five years under the Irish government’s Succeed In Ireland Initiative. This initiative is managed by IDA Ireland and implemented by ConnectIreland. See www.connectireland.com for more details.