SEKO Logistics is continuing to expand in Europe with a new branch in Dublin to serve multinational customers and benefit from the fast-growing Irish economy.
Ireland is likely to have recorded the highest GDP growth in the EU in 2018, estimated at 5.6% versus 2.1% for the region overall, according to the European Commission’s Interim Economic Forecast. This follows the country’s strong momentum of 2017 when its 7.3% growth rate was three times higher than the Eurozone average.
SEKO Logistics, which has expanded its international presence with new facilities in recent years, said this economic growth has attracted a growing number of multinational companies to Ireland, including its own international clients.
In response, the company, which previously operated in Ireland through an agency partnership, has invested in a new office and warehouse facility based at Dublin Airport, Harristown, that went into operation at the start of 2019, enabling it to support its existing customers and step up to meet future growth opportunities.
Establishing its own operation in Ireland provides SEKO with a platform to expand further in the retail, high-tech and medical device sectors, which are core customers of SEKO Logistics in Ireland and across the globe. Ireland’s MedTech sector alone has become one of the leading clusters for medical device products globally. Exports of medical devices and diagnostic products now represent 8% of Ireland's total merchandise exports.
Michael Daly, Managing Director of SEKO Logistics in Ireland, said: “The amount of trade in and out of Ireland – accelerated by the strength of the Irish economy and the level of inward investment – makes Ireland the next logical step in SEKO’s strategic investment development plan. Ireland is especially important to UK, European and US brands and that’s why we are investing in our own facility and staff to give SEKO customers in Ireland and around the world the service, technology, visibility and support they need to optimise the potential of this dynamic country. We want to be fully invested here and recognized as a long-term partner.”
Keith O’Brien, SEKO’s Chief Operating Officer EMEA, added: “This is a natural extension of our growth in Europe and across our global network. In the last 12 months, we’ve opened major new facilities in London and Amsterdam, entered into a key strategic partnership with Hermes Germany and invested significantly to increase our presence in the US, Greater China and Mexico. This is helping us to keep pace with our customers’ growth in these markets and will continue in 2019 as we proactively seek more opportunities to grow.”
Ireland’s thriving economy and business climate means it is also home to five of the top 10 companies on Forbes’ list of The World’s Most Innovative Companies as well as leaders in the aerospace, technology and software, industrial automation, and pharmaceutical sectors, the company noted.
