Trade Mission Nets €10m In Contracts For Irish Firms

A 2-day Enterprise Ireland trade mission to Texas has garnered contracts worth some €10 million ($14m) for Irish firms, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton TD announced.

The announcement comes at the end of the two-day programme to Houston and Austin, during which Minister Bruton along with Enterprise Ireland and 27 Irish companies were targeting opportunities for Irish companies in the rapidly-growing oil and gas sector.

Among the deals announced over the past two days were:

• A deal won by Irish underwater technology company Cathx Ocean to supply equipment to enable a major US underwater vehicle manufacturer to ‘see clearly’ during underwater engineering operations, particularly around oil rigs and pipelines, which will help create 50 jobs in Kildare over the next two years

• A $4million dollar contract won by Louth manufacturing company Suretank Engineering with Hoover Container Solutions Inc, for the supply of chemical transport tanks and containers for the safe transfer of chemicals and equipment for oil drilling to offshore deepwater rigs

• A contract won by GTSS, the maritime training arm of global shipping, logistics and marine services provider GAC and the National Maritime College of Ireland, to train Chevron Shipping’s junior officer corps in Cork. As a result of the deal, over the course of four years, more than 450 officers from around the world will receive maritime training through GTSS at the state-of-the-art National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI) facility in Cork

• A $600,000 contract won by Monaghan manufacturing company Combilift, for the supply of multidirectional forklifts to TimkenSteel Corporation in Houston, a major US company specialising in deep precision hole making and finishing for the oil and gas sector

• Other contracts with major US energy companies which cannot be disclosed for commercial reasons.

Speaking this morning, Minister Bruton said: "This was a very successful Enterprise Ireland programme in Houston and Austin. I first visited Texas with Enterprise Ireland fourteen months ago – at that stage it was clear that there were huge opportunities for Irish companies in the rapidly-growing oil and gas sector, but most of the companies were very much at the early stage of building their business here. Since then we have opened an Enterprise Ireland office and a consulate in Austin as part of our programme of intensifying activities overseas, as well as other new supports.

"Among the 27 manufacturing, engineering and technology companies accompanying us this week are some truly brilliant companies, and the results announced today show what they are capable of achieving. Some of these are young companies who have grown rapidly to take advantage of the potential of the oil and gas sector – others are more established companies who have adapted their technologies to the opportunities offered by oil and gas.

"I commend Enterprise Ireland and our companies on their achievements, and wish them every success with their future growth in Texas. I look forward to seeing further results – in terms of increased jobs and exports for Ireland – from their development in the coming years”.

(MH)