Over 300 jobs to be created in Armagh

Around 300 jobs are to be created in County Armagh by an Irish telecommunications company, Invest NI has today revealed.

The Imagine Communications Group, which aims to provide customer support across Ireland, will be based at the A:Tek centre in the city.

Invest NI has offered £2.44 million to provide support towards the jobs, which are expected to put around £4 million back into the local economy on a yearly basis.

Approximately 80 people have already been recruited to fill the 300 positions at the Imagine Telecommunications NI, company, with the rest of the posts being filled over the next few years.

Commenting on the announcement, Ian Murphy from Invest NI, said: "Such a landmark investment by a high-growth Irish firm is indicative of the growing international confidence in Northern Ireland, following the recent announcement of ICICI One Source to create 1,000 jobs in Belfast and the North West.

"Today's announcement clearly demonstrates the strength of Northern Ireland as the most cost-effective location on the British Isles for contact centre investment."

Sean Bolger, chief executive of the Imagine Communications Group, said that the key factor influencing the decision to locate in Armagh was the availability of a skilled, motivated and committed workforce and added that the Imagine Group was the only Irish communications company providing fixed and broadband services to both business and residential customers across Ireland.

The group is currently the largest supplier of business services in the Republic and is signing more than 1,800 residential customers a week through Gaelic Telecom, its partnership with the Gaelic Athletic Association.

It also operates under the trading names Access Telecom, Imagine Broadband and Imagine Mobile.

The A:Tek is one of two business centres established as part of the Armagh Monaghan Digital Corridor, a European-funded, cross-border corridor linking counties Armagh and Monaghan.

(EF/GB)