Glen Dimplex Announces Opening of Global Energy Centre in Dunleer
Group Affirms commitment to renewable energies as part of Growth strategy for Business
Thursday 5th July, 2007: Glen Dimplex, one of the world's leading home appliance businesses which is headquartered in Dunleer, Co. Louth, has underlined its commitment to the future of the group as a global leader in renewable energy products with the announcement that it will open a global Energy Centre at its Dunleer site later this year.
The new Glen Dimplex Energy Centre, which will cost €2.5 million and will employ 20 leading researchers and engineers, will be dedicated to the research and development of energy efficient products for the Group's Irish and global markets. The Energy Centre, which has been designed by local architects, Curtis Architects, will be constructed using renewable and sustainable building materials. In addition, the Energy Centre will house a showroom which will feature innovative products created by the Group's research and development personnel and which will make a significant improvement to energy efficiency in homes and businesses throughout the world.
Founded in 1973 by entrepreneur, Martin Naughton, Glen Dimplex, which has an annual turnover approaching €2bn and employs 10,000 people worldwide, is in year 3 of its corporate strategy for creating a new business through the development of energy efficient products using renewable technologies. The global Energy Centre is a central part of this strategic initiative.
Glen Dimplex is already the largest producer of heat pumps in Europe and produced 30,000 heat pumps in its state-of-the-art factories in Germany and France in 2006 and expects to grow this volume significantly more this year. In Germany, where Glen Dimplex is the market leader in the production of heat pumps, the company increased its production workforce by 330 people in 2006 to cope with the demand for its Geothermal and Air/water Heat Pumps. In Ireland, over 1,000 Glen Dimplex heat pumps have been installed in Irish homes since 2005.
Glen Dimplex is market leader in heat pumps in Germany, Austria, France, Switzerland, Ireland and the UK. With the opening of its new Energy Centre, Glen Dimplex will continue to innovate in the renewable energy product sector with the development of total heating systems solutions with the production of heat pumps, Solar Heating, Wood Pellet Boilers and Heat Recovery Systems.
With rising global awareness of the importance of protecting the environment and many countries throughout the world implementing fiscal incentives - such as Ireland's Greener Homes Scheme - to encourage consumers and businesses to install renewable energy heating solutions, Glen Dimplex's ability to innovate and develop effective total heating solutions using renewable energy is core to the business' future growth and success.
According to Martin Naughton, Chairman, Glen Dimplex, "The increasingly important issue of global warming and climate change means that to enhance our position as market leader in Europe and beyond we must continue to innovate by developing products which maximise energy efficiency. In Ireland, where labour costs are becoming less competitive, innovation is essential for businesses such as ours if they are to remain market leaders and stay ahead of the competition. The development of the Glen Dimplex Energy Centre here in Dunleer underlines our commitment to the environment but also to placing energy efficiency at the very core of a Group which has grown by on average 20% per annum since it was founded."
Glen Dimplex's strategy of developing a renewable energy products business for the future demonstrates that environmentally focussed businesses can also be financially successful businesses. According to Glen Dimplex Group CEO, Sean O'Driscoll, "It is important to underline that as a globally successful home appliance business we take our responsibilities towards the environment very seriously and have managed to maintain our strong level of year on year growth by continuing to develop energy efficient products which are the very best the market has to offer. The development of the Energy Centre will ensure that we keep energy efficiency at the very core of our business, while maintaining our commitment to product innovation as a central principle in the continued growth of Glen Dimplex."
To mark the announcement of the opening of the new Energy Centre at Glen Dimplex, pioneering artist, naturalist and environmentalist, Bill Lishman, whom Martin Naughton met on a trip to the Antarctic in January of this year, has specially created a life-sized sculpture of an albatross - an endangered species - made from stainless steel and Canadian beech. The sculpture, which will be installed in the new Energy Centre when it opens later this year, will be unveiled by Minister Dermot Ahern TD in the presence of Bill Lishman at Glen Dimplex's offices in Dunleer on Thursday 5th July.
For Information:
David McConnell
Dimpco
Tel +353 1 8424833
dmcconnell@dimpco.ie
