A specialist manufacturer of marketing materials, National Pen will add over 250 new members to its payroll as the company prepares to move into new manufacturing facilities.
 
The European headquarters of National Pen in Dundalk services 19 countries across the world.
 
National Pen’s new manufacturing facility in Dundalk will triple the size of the company’s plant and allow for planned expansion in the coming years.
 
With 255 permanent staff already employed in its Louth-based facility having grown from 186 in 2009, the company hopes to offer many of the seasonal staff permanent contracts in the coming months. Recruitment for these seasonal staff has already begun at National Pen. National Pen’s expansion is supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland. 
 
Peter Kelly, Senior Vice President at National Pen Europe said: “We opened our doors in Dundalk in 1987. At that time we supplied one market – Germany – with only one product, one design and a limited workforce of four people. Now with over 25 years under our belt in Dundalk, the National Pen story has a long way to run yet. We service over 19 markets across the globe from our facility here in Louth.”

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD said: “I very much welcome this announcement by National Pen, a long-established Dundalk based manufacturing company. The Government’s Acton Plan for Jobs makes it clear that the manufacturing sector will continue to make a crucial contribution to this economy and to help us achieve this I have brought together a team of industry experts to develop a plan aimed at creating a further 20,000 extra jobs in this sector.  I am confident that we will see jobs growth and increased exports from this sector”.

Barry O’Leary, Chief Executive of IDA Ireland said: “National Pen’s expansion, both in terms of staff numbers and manufacturing facility, is excellent news for Dundalk. National Pen’s new premises will allow them to continue their double-digit yearly expansion rates. National Pen has demonstrated an ability to service international markets in the consumer goods sector from Ireland. The company is a great case study in showing us all how Ireland can compete in the traditional business sector of manufacturing.”