AIM Group to create 2,100 retail jobs
A leading wholesale company is to create more than 2,100 jobs expanding its high street operations.
The AIM Group is sourcing sites for 40 new Iceland supermarket stores around the country which will take on 1,400 staff.
It is also planning to open 50 more €2 Euro shops and 15 Home Savers stores.
Tom Keogh, newly-appointed chief executive at AIM, said the company was committed to promoting Irish suppliers.
“Our combined retail offering, of value for money, Iceland foods along with our own brand Home Savers stores we believe will capture the Irish public’s attention and are sure fire winners. We have a well-funded aggressive roll-out programme of retail stores for the next four years.”
Mr Keogh added: “We are committed to using Irish suppliers throughout our expansion programme.”
The first of the Iceland stores was opened in the Ilac centre in Dublin today.
The employment boost will include 525 staff in the Home Savers and 250 in €2 euro outlets.
The AIM Group said it was aggressively looking for sites for its new stores and would create a total of 2,175 jobs over four years.
A company spokesman said Iceland already spends more than €58m in Ireland on quality Irish produce, such as, milk, bread, meat and poultry.
“We are very committed to spending more in Ireland and we want to increase this value in the weeks ahead,” Mr Keogh said.
Nigel Broadhurst, Iceland’s UK buying director, said the investment would help the company develop relations with food manufacturers in Ireland.
“We are absolutely delighted with this latest development in our franchise partnership with the AIM group,” Mr Broadhurst said.
“Not only is it good news in terms of the development of the Iceland business in Ireland but it also signals the start of much bigger things for the future.
“We are keen to develop strong relationships with food manufacturers in Ireland and would welcome the opportunity to review relationships with potential big volume suppliers.”
The AIM Group was founded by Naeem Maniar, an Irish-based Indian businessman, in 1990. The company employs more than 52 staff at its headquarters on the Robinhood Industrial Estate in Clondalkin, west Dublin.
In a separate jobs announcement, recruitment firm Sigmar revealed plans to expand with 40 more staff.
It said the plan was to take on 10 employees immediately in Dublin city and follow that with 10 international positions and another 20 posts to be filled over the next few months.
Chief executive Adrian McGennis said: “Despite all the seeming industry negativity, the reality on the ground is we are making it work and things are definitely picking up both at home an in our international offices.”
