Irish-owned SIS Pitches is setting up an Irish operation - this will add to its existing network across the UK, the Netherlands, the Middle East, Russia, Turkey and Angola.
It currently employs 245 people and its Irish presence will have eight employees based between Wicklow, Tyrone and Sligo initially, with plans to add more staff as if picks up contracts to build and maintain pitches around the country.
SIS counts Real Madrid and FC Barcelona among its clients.
PA
The company was set up by Sligo native, CEO George Mullan in 2001.
He commented on today's announcement: "We have had phenomenal success in the UK market as well as in Eastern Europe and Russia. This year, we will be opening a joint venture in China and we are also moving into the US and Japan. We want to bring the success that we have had overseas to Ireland, invest in Ireland and hire Irish people.
"Personally, moving into the Irish market is a great sense of pride and excitement for me. SIS Manufacturing has been supplying synthetic pitches into Ireland for 16 years but now we will now be selling directly to end users, providing a full turnkey service of designing, building, manufacturing, installing and maintaining the pitches."
SIS Pitches’ annual results for 2016 show a turnover of €54m - and it projects that it will rise to almost €63.5m this year.
It will be the leading supplier of pitches for the 2018 World Cup in Russia - including the 78,000 seater Luzhniki Stadium where the final will take place.
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