The Derry location was chosen based on the high qualities found in the local staff and with the knowledge of being able to establish excellent collaborations with colleges and universities
Vertiv, (NYSE: VRT), a global provider of critical digital infrastructure and continuity solutions, has announced that it is undertaking a significant investment in a new manufacturing facility in Campsie, Derry – Londonderry, creating at least 200 skilled jobs and helping to develop Northern Ireland's economy. Supported by Invest Northern Ireland, Vertiv's project will strengthen the country's already innovative and highly specialized manufacturing and engineering sector.
Karsten Winther, Vertiv's president for Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: "We are excited about this investment, which will further our business development capabilities in EMEA and globally to meet the strong demand for infrastructure solutions, driven primarily by digitalisation and the rise of AI. Vertiv is committed to addressing today's major data centre, communications network, commercial and industrial facility challenges by offering a portfolio of power, cooling and infrastructure management solutions IT. This project will support our goals.”
Philip O'Doherty, Vertiv's Managing Director for E+I Group, added: “Derry was not the only location we considered for this facility, but it proved to be the best one when we realized the quality of the local staff, the cost-competitive economic environment and the advantage of being able to establish collaborations with colleges and universities useful to support our research and development plans”. The contribution of Invest NI was also fundamental in the decision to choose Northern Ireland."
The Assured Skills Academies of the Ministry for the Economy will help guarantee the employment of 72 of the available positions, providing training in all areas of expertise in electrical and mechanical installation.
Mike Brennan, permanent secretary of the Ministry for the Economy, welcomed Vertiv's investment, stating that: "This intervention by Vertiv to create new jobs is excellent news for Western European countries, confirming Northern Ireland's role in modern industrial production and the further development of our territorial economy."
"Assured Skills Academies have a proven track record of providing participants with the skills employees need to develop their backgrounds. Additionally, Assured Skills Academies beneficiaries who complete their training secure a job interview for employment with Vertiv and will be well qualified for the future."
Expressing appreciation for the investment, Mel Chittock, Interim CEO of Invest NI, commented: "September's Investment Summit highlighted Northern Ireland's strengths in terms of technological innovation across multiple sectors. Vertiv's announcement confirms Northern Ireland's attractiveness to international companies seeking growth opportunities."
"Invest NI is delivering on the Department for the Economy's 10x vision to create a productive, innovation- and export-based economy in Northern Ireland, whilst achieving a fairer distribution of prospects for all our citizens through regional balance. This investment in the North West's advanced manufacturing sector, which is one of our priority clusters, brings us closer to achieving this."
Vertiv is hiring candidates for open positions in the engineering department and other roles. The company has a strong diversity and inclusion strategy and is incentivizing women to apply for positions, with the aim of attracting more women to pursue STEM careers at Vertiv. The company will also use this opportunity to consolidate its already highly successful apprenticeship programme, in order to attract graduates and apprentices into full-time skilled roles.
This announcement is the latest in Vertiv's global manufacturing footprint. The company operates in more than 130 countries, providing a broad portfolio of power, cooling and IT infrastructure solutions and services that extend from the cloud to the network edge.
