It emerged this morning that 100 jobs will be created in Dublin over the next year by prominent US online firm Freightquote.com, which is setting up its European headquarters in the city.
As part of an IDA-supported investment, the company has already begun recruiting multi-lingual staff to work in sales, customer services and finance.
Freightquote.com provides a web-based freight management service that allows clients to access freight carrier options online and book various modes of freight transport from domestic trucking to parcel, air and ocean freight.
The Irish operation will be responsible for business analysis and client development within the European freight and shipping industry and identifying new freight partner opportunities throughout Europe.
Activities will also include the localisation of Freightquote.com’s European websites in multiple languages as well as all of the necessary sales, service and support functions to successfully operate within the European markets.
“Freightquote is a superb company – it is revolutionising the freight market and doing for freight what the web has done for other markets such as the travel and insurance industries,” explained the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Mary Coughlan TD.
Since its establishment in 1998, Freightquote has experienced significant year on year growth for its product in the US market.
“Replicating this success within the European market is of major strategic importance to the company and the Irish operation will offer a service that no other company currently provides to the European logistics and transport market,” Coughlan added.
She said some of the reasons Freightquote chose Dublin were due to the skills availability, geographical proximity to Dublin Airport and freight carriers, as well as the cluster of other multinational companies in the east region.
“This proposal is consistent with IDA Ireland’s strategic objectives for the development of the online business, digital media and communications sector in Ireland.”
Freightquote’s technology is also integrated into the US eBay site allowing buyers and sellers to access carrier pricing before bidding on items over 150 pounds in weight.
The company is only one of three official integrated shipping services providers serving alongside UPC and United States Postal Services.
“In just a few years, the company has grown from managing a few dozen shipments to a few thousand shipments every day, helping tens of thousands of customers improve their freight transportation,” said JD Buckley, managing director of Freightquote’s European Operations.
“To realise our vision, our organisation focuses on innovative technology and outstanding people – people with energy, insight and a fervent customer service mentality. This model has provided Freightquote.com with incredible growth throughout its history, and we remain committed to our philosophy as we look to our future growth into the European market,” Buckley said.
By John Kennedy
