3rd October 2016
Opening follows c.€3.6M refurbishment of period property
Agora Publishing, a group of global publishing companies with offices in over a dozen countries, today officially opened its new offices which house a publishing company, contact centre and technology services centre in Portlaw, Co. Waterford.
The company announced in April last year it was to significantly expand its operations in the South East, with the creation of 100 additional new jobs.
The project was supported by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation through IDA Ireland.
The group located their lifestyle publishing operation International Living magazine to Waterford in 1998, locating at Elysium House in Waterford city and headed up today by publisher, Jackie Flynn.
All three companies are relocating to the centralised site at Woodlock House in Portlaw. The former convent has been extensively and sympathetically refurbished, restoring all of its period features.
International Living, the publishing company employs 42 people locally, with a further 30 people in various locations throughout Latin America, Europe and SE Asia.
The contact centre will provide customer support via phone, electronic correspondence and ‘click to chat’ to Agora’s international and US affiliates’.
The technology services group will provide application support, web and mobile application support services as well as training to the Agora group of companies.
In addition to the International Living headcount of 42 employees, approximately 75 of the additional 100 new positions have been filled at this stage.
Speaking at today’s official opening, Bill Bonner, Agora’s Founder and President, said: “The Agora is a unique collective or cooperative of related companies. The companies have different owners and different business models. But all share the same mission: to provide a source of responsible and genuinely independent advice and opinion. In Woodlock House we will be housing writers, editors, designers, marketers and customer service agents.”
Minister of State for Training and Skills John Halligan TD congratulated the company on developing the new centre and said "The relocation by Agora of this publishing company and development of the Contact Centre and Technology Services Centre in Portlaw is great news for County Waterford, bringing 100 new jobs to a regional location. I am especially pleased that the development will include skilled technology positions as I am keen to see continued job growth in the South East, with full time, sustainable job growth my number one priority. This project is a great example of job creation in locations away from the main centres of population, thanks to technology, where customers in other countries can be serviced from regional areas of Ireland provided we have the right ICT infrastructure in place as well as skills available."
Senator Paudie Coffey, a native of Portlaw, who attended the official opening said: "This is a fantastic investment by Agora in Portlaw, a village which has a huge industrial, social and cultural heritage. It is fitting that a new era of significant employment for Portlaw will commence in Woodlock House, once home to the Malcolmson family who founded the industrial village; it is wonderful that the historic building has now been restored to facilitate high tech jobs that will do business globally. This investment is a huge boost to Portlaw’s local economy and the community is delighted to welcome Agora and all of the employees to the area.”
IDA’s Regional Business Development Manager for the South East, Anne-Marie Tierney-Le Roux said: “It’s great to see the company’s renovation of this lovely period property completed, allowing its publishing company and new contact centre and technology services centre to commence operations in Portlaw and giving scope for further development in the future. It is a welcome addition to County Waterford and the South East Region. I wish Jackie and her teams every success here.”
About the company:
The Agora companies are a global publishing group with 60 subsidiary and affiliated companies which publish specialised information by way of newsletters, websites and books on a range of topics including retirement, wealth management, equity investments, health, travel and finance. The Agora companies publish more than 120 newsletters with over 1 million readers globally. Publications are translated into several languages including French, Spanish, Portuguese and German. The company also hosts seminars and conferences. The Agora companies’ subsidiary operations have offices in London, Paris, Bonn, Melbourne, Johannesburg, Buenos Aires, Sao Paolo and Mumbai as well as Co. Waterford.
For more information contact:
IDA Ireland
Ellen Lynch
Regional Communications,
Press & PR Executive
087 4112084
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