Jobs boost for Macroom
A timber frame manufacturer has announced the creation of 50 jobs in Cork to help meet targets for the Government’s Housing for All strategy.
Cygnum in Macroom aims to grow its operations by 60% over the next 2-3 years following an investment of €7 million over the past 5 years.
The company, which designs, manufactures and installs timber frame houses, has been operating in Macroom since 1997 and currently produces 850 houses for the Irish market each year.
According to Cygnum, the market share of timber frame construction has grown exponentially in recent years and the company now plans to up its production to 1,350 homes a year.
Speaking at the company’s facility in Macroom today, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar TD said the 50 new jobs and increased output will be a significant boost for the company and for the area.
He said: “This expansion will also help the Government’s efforts to increase the housing supply. These are quicker to construct and help to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. With a record number of people now at work in Ireland, I remain determined to ensure that jobs are available right across the country. Companies like Cygnum make that possible.”
Managing Director at Cygnum, John Desmond added: “The demand for timber frame housing is growing steadily year-on-year. Timber is the most environmentally friendly mainstream construction material, which means that the houses we manufacture are not only helping to tackle Ireland’s housing crisis, but also supporting the transition to a carbon neutral future.”
The Cygnum facility in Macroom is an automated timber frame plant and currently produces five houses per day. The onsite team engineers and designs the structural timber frame walls, floors and roofs. The digital information is then transferred to the highly automated processing lines on the factory floor, before the finished product is loaded onto trucks for assembly on site.
Tom Kelly, Divisional Manager, Industrial and Lifesciences at Enterprise Ireland, said: “Cygnum represents operational excellence in timber frame house manufacturing. It is participating in Enterprise Ireland’s productivity improvement programmes and its growth plans will see it well placed to help Ireland tackle the challenge of delivering new, environmentally and economically sustainable housing.”