Vertiv invests in advanced Northern Ireland manufacturing facility

Above: (left to right) Mel Chittock, Interim CEO, Invest Northern Ireland, Philip O'Doherty, Managing Director of the E+I business, Vertiv and Giordano Albertazzi, CEO, Vertiv.
Courtesy Invest NI
 
Supported by Invest Northern Ireland (Invest NI), Vertiv’s investment will further strengthen Northern Ireland’s highly developed and advanced manufacturing and engineering sector.

Speaking about the investment, Karsten Winther, president of Europe, Middle East and Africa at Vertiv, said: “We are delighted to be making this investment which will support our EMEA and global business growth and help us to meet strong market demand for our infrastructure solutions, mainly driven by digitalisation and AI adoption. Vertiv’s focus is on solving the most important challenges facing today’s data centres, communication networks and commercial and industrial facilities with a portfolio of power, cooling and IT infrastructure solutions. This new investment will support our goal.”

Philip O’Doherty, managing director for the E+I business at Vertiv, added: “Derry was not the only location we considered for this facility but it came out on top when we realised the quality of the local workforce, the cost-competitive business environment and the ease with which we can establish links and work with colleges and universities to support our research and development plans. The support from Invest NI was also crucial to our decision to choose Northern Ireland.”

The Department for the Economy’s Assured Skills Academies will assist in filling 72 of the jobs by providing training across skills areas in electrical and mechanical installation.

Mike Brennan, permanent secretary at the Department for the Economy, welcomed the investment by Vertiv: “This announcement of new jobs by Vertiv is excellent news for the North West, endorsing Northern Ireland’s place in the advanced manufacturing sector and further developing our sub-regional economy.

“Assured Skills Academies have a track record of equipping participants with the skills employers need to flourish and grow. Furthermore, participants on these Assured Skills Academies who complete the training are guaranteed a job interview for a role with Vertiv and will be strongly positioned for success.”

Welcoming the investment, Mel Chittock, interim CEO of Invest NI, said: “September’s Investment Summit showcased Northern Ireland’s innovation and technological strengths across a number of sectors. Today’s announcement by Vertiv demonstrates the attraction of Northern Ireland for international companies that are seeking an optimal location for growth.

“Invest NI is working to realise the Department for the Economy’s 10x Vision of creating a productive, innovation-based, export-driven economy in Northern Ireland, whilst also achieving a fairer distribution of opportunities for all our people through regional balance. This investment in the advanced manufacturing sector in the North West, which is one of our priority clusters, takes us a step closer to achieving this.”

Vertiv is actively recruiting for vacancies in engineering and other roles. The company has a robust diversity and inclusion strategy and is welcoming and encouraging women to apply for positions, with the goal of attracting more women into STEM careers at Vertiv. It will also use this opportunity to build on its already successful apprenticeship programme to attract graduates and apprentices into full-time skilled roles.

This announcement is the latest development in Vertiv’s global manufacturing footprint. The company operates in more than 130 countries, providing an extensive portfolio of power, cooling and IT infrastructure solutions and services that extend from the cloud to the edge of the network.