*Ei Electronics staff in Shannon. Photograph: Joe Buckley
HUGE CROWDS attended Ei Electronics’ anniversary open day in Shannon last Sunday.
Held to celebrate sixty years of manufacturing in Shannon and thirty five years as an Irish company, the event drew crowds of all ages as the Ei campus turned into a hive of activity for young and old.
Past and present employees were among those to make their way to the Shannon Industrial Estate where the Founder, Chairman and CEO of the Shannon company, Mick Guinee was on hand to welcome guests as they arrived.
Many former employees took the opportunity to take a tour of the campus where photographs from Ei’s sixty years in Shannon were placed along the corridors. Turnover was approximately €4m in 1983, now forty years on Ei boasts a turnover of €400m, a global customer base and 1,250 employees worldwide.
Peter Murphy, Marketing, Business Development & CSR with Ei Electronics told The Clare Echo that the anniversary open day “exceeded all expectations”. He said, “There was a constant stream of visitors from when we opened at 11am until 5pm. Thankfully, the weather was kind and people enjoyed great food and entertainment, fun for the kids, factory tours and loads of side shows to keep all ages entertained”.
“We sent the invitation far and wide to all past and present employees, their families, customers, suppliers, members of the local community, local schools, etc. to come together and celebrate these milestone anniversaries of Ei’s presence in Shannon. Essentially it was a big thank you to all those people who have played a part in the Ei success story and an opportunity to celebrate these achievements with our local community”.
Speaking at Tuesday’s meeting of the Shannon Municipal District, Cllr John Crowe (FG) suggested that a letter of congratulations be sent to Mick Guinee and Ei Electronics for “a fantastic day” and to acknowledge the company’s contribution to the region.
Cllr Michael Begley (IND) stated, “as a former employee I am still intrigued with how they develop. Ei’s contribution to the community is above and beyond the business and is a main measure of their success. They have a fantastic R&D section which is what makes companies survive, they are always ahead of the posse”.
