9th April 2015
SMK Corporation, a multinational electro-mechanical component manufacturer headquartered in Tokyo Japan is to establish a new European Headquarters in Dublin, Ireland.
SMK Corporation, a multinational electro-mechanical component manufacturer headquartered in Tokyo Japan is to establish a new European Headquarters in Dublin, Ireland.
SMK designs and produces a wide range of products for the electronics sector including connectors and switches, remote control units and touch screens. Demand for SMK products is driven by the requirements of a new generation of communications devices such as smart phones and tablets, as well as a proliferation of Pay TV Services and ever-increasing Electronic content in vehicles. The company works closely with clients in new product development and boasts many household name clients in these sectors.
SMK Electronics (Europe) Limited in Ireland will co-ordinate the activities of the company’s sales and design operations in Europe and will employ seven people initially. The new European HQ will be located at Northwood Business Park and will be overseen by Mr. Paul Evans, Corporate Executive VP. Originally from Dublin, Mr. Evans is a 30-year veteran of SMK and in 2006 was appointed SMK’s first non-Japanese Vice President.
SMK was introduced to Ireland through ConnectIreland, the company responsible for delivering the Government’s Succeed in Ireland initiative, as part of the Action Plan for Jobs, in association with IDA Ireland.
Welcoming the announcement, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD said: “I am delighted that SMK has chosen Ireland as the location for its new European Headquarters. The availability of talent was a key consideration for the company and once again highlights the attractiveness of Ireland’s well educated workforce to foreign direct investment. The announcement is another ConnectIreland project supported by my Department through IDA Ireland and is another example of how companies leading in their field are establishing in Ireland. I wish SMK every success for the future”.
Paul Evans, Corporate Executive VP, SMK Corporation said: “We considered a number of locations for our new European Headquarters including Germany, England and the Netherlands. We chose Ireland because of the availability of highly skilled professionals and the business friendly environment. ConnectIreland’s support enabled us to establish our new European HQ in Dublin far more quickly than we could have in any other location we considered.
“We expect to create seven jobs in Dublin in the first year and given the rapid growth of our business in Europe, we expect our Dublin HQ to play a central role in our expansion over the next 10 years. As our business in Europe grows, Dublin can expect to benefit from that growth”.
Michael McLoughlin, ConnectIreland CEO, said: “We are delighted that as SMK Corporation celebrate 90 years in business this year that they have chosen Ireland as a strategic centre for their next phase of growth in Europe. The creation of seven financial and general management positions in the coming 12 months is very welcome and brings to over 1,100 the number of jobs created in Ireland through the Government’s Succeed in Ireland initiative. We are delighted to have worked with SMK and wish them every success in Ireland as they continue to expand their workforce to 11 over the coming three years.” ENDSAbout SMK Corporation Founded in 1925, SMK Corporation is a global leader in the manufacture of electronic connectors, switches, OEM remote controls and automotive touch-panel and on-board camera systems. With 13 manufacturing facilities and design and sales offices worldwide, SMK Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo Japan, serves a global market--manufacturing more than 50 million OEM remote controls annually. For more information, see SMK Corporation in Japan, SMK Electronics Corporation, U.S.A. in the U.S. or SMK Electronics (Europe) Limited in Ireland.
SMK Electronics (Europe) Limited will begin operations in 2015. The company will be located in Northwood Business Park, Santry, Dublin, and will employ seven people. As the European Headquarters of SMK Corporation, SMK Electronics (Europe) will coordinate SMK’s business across Europe: assuming order entry, product delivery, billing, accounting, finance and general management responsibilities
About ConnectIreland
ConnectIreland is an innovative way to create new jobs in Ireland by harnessing the power of your connections. The aim is to attract foreign companies that are expanding internationally to Ireland. The Irish Government will financially reward those who, through their introductions, help create new, sustainable jobs in Ireland. The programme, part of the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs, is delivering the Succeed in Ireland Initiative, in partnership with IDA Ireland. To date, 40,000 connectors have signed up and helped introduce thousands of companies to Ireland. www.connectireland.com.
Media Contact for SMK Electronics (Europe) Limited in Ireland:
Laurie Mannix,
Managing Director, MKC Communications
O +353 1 7038600; M +353 868 143710
laurie@mkc.ie
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