Chinese Company CIRS to Establish EU Headquarters in Dundalk with the Creation of 26 Jobs

Minister Ahern announces CIRS to create 26 high-level jobs in Dundalk

Leading Chinese regulatory affairs company sets up EU Headquarters

The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Dermot Ahern TD, today (Tuesday 21st April 2009) announced that CIRS (Chemical Inspection and Regulation Service), a Chinese company with headquarters in Hangzhou, one of China’s leading cities, is setting up its EU Headquarters at Finnabair Business Park in Dundalk, Co. Louth. The company is anticipated to employ up to 26 high-level positions over the next twelve months, for which it will recruit science graduates. The investment is supported by Government through IDA Ireland.

CIRS is a regulatory affairs company providing chemical consulting services to Non-EU Manufacturers, European Manufacturers and EU Importers. It ensures international manufacturers are compliant with the new EU Chemical regulation REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals), which entered into force in June 2007 and serves to streamline and improve the legislative framework on chemicals in the EU.

Minister Ahern said “Ireland has a proven reputation for satisfying the needs of international companies operating in highly sophisticated and complex areas of business. CIRS choice of Ireland, in preference to any other country across the EU, is excellent news and I welcome the company to Dundalk. As a company of high calibre expertise and innovation, CIRS provides another superb example that ‘Ireland is very much open for business across all sectors’ and is very positively viewed by international investors.

In 2006, IDA Ireland established its office in Shanghai to unlock a gateway for Chinese companies to expand and develop their businesses in Europe. This CIRS investment is an excellent further result for that IDA Ireland marketing strategy and the company is a significant addition to the well established life science sector in Ireland. It is interesting that CIRS has chosen Dundalk as its location in Ireland following in the footsteps of SATIR, one of the world’s leaders in infrared technology, which was the first company from China in the manufacturing sector to locate here. Hopefully these can be the first of many investments from an economy which is quickly becoming the world’s largest and that Dundalk can develop as the centre for Chinese investments in the future. Securing the first two supported by IDA is very encouraging.”

CIRS believes that in setting up in Ireland and recruiting from its highly educated workforce, it will be well placed to serve companies who must comply with the new EU regulation. CIRS also believes that REACH is a balancing act and if done correctly it offers continued access to the EU market. On the other hand, compliance with REACH can be highly complex and is a strategic business issue.

Jim Wei, Director, CIRS Ireland, said “CIRS is already a world leader in providing these services from our HQ in Hangzhou. REACH and the EU market is a key new market for us, and having weighed up the options in location, we believe that locating our European base in Ireland is very strategic, based on the skills sets of Ireland’s workforce, as well as the support shown to us by government and the business community.”

For further information please contact:

CIRS –

Paul Nolan, Deputy Director – CIRS Limited Tel: 00 353 87 2833 868

Aileen Eglington, AE Consulting Tel: 00 353 1 2847796/ Mobile 00 353 87 2505007

Niall O’Reilly, Accurate Limited – Ireland China Business experts

Tel: Email: Niall@accuratelimited.com

IDA Ireland - Pat Doherty, Manager, North East Region

Tel: (042) 9354410 Mob: 087 6171336