Computer manufacturer Dell said this afternoon that it is still on the look-out for a second European manufacturing base, despite reports this morning that it has selected a location in Poland.
In December, siliconrepublic.com first reported that Dell, which employs 4,000 people in Ireland and is growing revenue by 20pc a year in Europe, had decided to build a second European manufacturing plant. Reports initially suggested France as a likely location, however subsequent reports suggest an Eastern European location as a likely bet.
Dell’s Limerick manufacturing base – responsible for an output of over €8bn a year – is regarded as the company’s most productive location in the world and has been a template for subsequent builds in Asia.
Latest reports claim that Dell has been in talks with Polish representatives about building a second EMEA manufacturing base in the Polish city of Poznan, not far from the German border.
However, in a statement this afternoon Dell reiterated that it was looking for a second European location to cope with increased demand from the region but that the search is still on.
“The location of that second site has not yet been decided and a number of locations are still being evaluated. Once a final decision is made, it will be publicly announced,” Dell said.
The company said that the transfer of 1,500 Dell staff from the company’s Bray base to a newer site at Cherrywood is scheduled to commence next month and is on track to be completed by the end of September.
In the last set of financial results for February, March and April, the company reported a 20pc increase in EMEA revenue to total US$11.3bn.
By John Kennedy
