Over 50 new jobs on the way at DPD in Athlone

Over 50 new jobs are in the offing at Athlone-based courier company DPD over the next 18 months. The jobs boost is set to be officially announced by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton during a whistle-stop visit to the firm's hub on the Dublin Road tomorrow (Thursday). The Jobs Minister is expected to reveal the details of the company's expansion of its distribution facility in Athlone Business Park, alongside CEO Brendan O'Neill. A significant number of new posts, numbering over 50 are due to come on stream over the next year and half as a result of the growth. Founded in 1986, with just 10 depots, DPD, formally Interlink Ireland, has rapidly grown to become Ireland's leading express parcels provider with a network of 38 depots throughout the country. The distribution firm currently employs over 600 people countrywide, 200 of which are in Athlone at present. DPD currently contributes over €40 million to the Irish economy. It has 350 vehicles on the road, carrying over 8 million parcels a year to 8,000 active trading customers in all kinds of sectors, from electronics, entertainment, mobile communication, pharmaceutical, to printing and car components. The firm has said e-commerce and web shopping has had a huge influence on the business in recent times, pointing out that the web has also become a very important tool to company enabling them to give customers access to real-time updates on parcel delivery status and interaction collection updates. Worldwide, e-commerce sales in 2010 grew by 10% and the company is thought to have several large multi-million euro contracts in the pipeline in the medium term future. Mayor Alan Shaw has warmly welcomed the news that DPD intends to announce further expansion of it's fulfilment and distribution facility in Athlone. "We have been fortunate over the past 24 months with a series of announcements by various employer companies in Athlone of expansion and new job opportunities." "It is clear that Athlone, because of it's location, it's third level institute of technology, and it's capacity to meet the infrastructural and transport demands of corporate Ireland, we are one of the optimum locations in Ireland in which to do business," he concluded. "It will be great for the town and the economy," Deputy Nicky McFadden said ahead of the expected jobs boost announcement by Minister Bruton on Thursday at 12.15pm. She said it would be amazing if there are new jobs for the town arising out the event and the company's expansion. Back in 2000, then Interlink Ireland became part of GeoPost S.A., the parcels and express division of La Poste, the French Post Office. Six years later, it committed an €18 million investment in a new hub and headquarters in Athlone. Interlink Ireland changed its name to DPD in February 2008 after its parent company, La Poste, united its express parcel companies under one single brand.