Corporate Magazine - 2013, June (PDF) - Invest Northern Ireland

Investin June 2013 07NewsAllstate to create upto 650 jobsTechnology company Allstate Northern Irelandis creating up to 650 high quality jobs in Belfast,Londonderry and Strabane.The company provides softwaredevelopment services and high-endbusiness solutions in support of itsUS parent’s operations. The AllstateCorporation is the largest publicly heldpersonal lines property and casualtyinsurer in America.Invest NI has offered over £4.5m ofsupport towards the expansion. Justover 200 of the software development,software testing, infrastructure servicesand analytics posts have already beenfilled and the remaining 450 will berecruited by 2016.Bro McFerran, Managing DirectorAllstate NI, said: “Allstate NI has had astrong presence here since 1998, andworking closely with Invest NI, we havegrown to employ over 1,900 peopleacross our three sites.“Allstate has made significant efforts toopen up its career opportunities to non-IT graduates as well as experiencedIT professionals by investing in skillsdevelopment. Indeed, many of ourpeople have come from non-ITbackgrounds and have embracedour training ethos in order to developadvanced technology skills and securecareers with Allstate in high value roles.“Allstate NI remains an integral partof Allstate Insurance, and today’sannouncement is testament to thetalented people we have recruited hereto date and the significant contributionthat people in Northern Ireland havemade to Allstate’s global operations.”>> Pictured are L-RAlastair Hamilton, ChiefExecutive Invest NI, BroMcFerran, MD AllstateNI, deputy First MinisterMartin McGuinness,First Minister PeterRobinson, DETIMinister Arlene Fosterand onscreen fromAllstate Chicago is TomHall, Vice PresidentAllstate TechnologyOrganisationInternational.NEWS>> Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster is pictured atLinden Foods with Trevor Lockhart, Chairman, and(L) Gerry McGuire Managing Director.Major expansion for LindensDungannon-based LindenFoods is to create 179new jobs with supportfrom Invest NI.Linden Foods is a market leaderwithin the Northern Ireland fresh meatprocessing industry, sourcing andprocessing top quality beef and lamb.Invest NI has offered assistance of£520,000 through its Jobs Fund.Linden Foods, which is a subsidiary ofFane Valley Co-operative Society, servicesa range of retail multiples, conveniencefood manufacturers and the wider meatpacking industry in the UK and Europe.Trevor Lockhart, Chairman of LindenFoods, said: “This investment isan important part of our long-termdevelopment strategy and underlines ourcommitment to the Dungannon area.The support from Invest NI will allowus to create the workforce we need tomeet the demand for our range of newand innovative products among exportcustomers and enable us to cementour leading position within the meatprocessing industry.”Two years ago Linden Foods openeda new purpose-built facility beside thecompany’s main processing site atGranville. Along with new preparation,production and dispatch areas, the 5,740sq m premises includes a dedicatedinnovation centre and developmentkitchen, enabling the business tocontinually innovate and create productsthat are ahead of current trends in thefood retailing sector.Speaking during a visit to the company,Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster said:“This investment is very welcomenews for the food industry which is akey contributor to Northern Ireland’seconomy. The 179 new production andmanagerial positions will generate over£2.5m annually in salaries. This is afantastic boost to the local area, the localcommunity and to the wider NorthernIreland economy.”