This article is from page 14 of the 2014-04-15 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 14 JPG
SHANNON Chamber of Commerce is “quietly confident” that a number of recent high profile jobs announcement in the Shannon Industrial Zone will lead to an improvement in the retail business in the town.
Shannon town was one of three Clare towns given a ‘red’ designation in a study undertaken by Teagasc into the effects that the recession has had on towns in Ireland between 2006 and 2011.
Shannon was ranked as the town in Clare worst hit by immigration during the recession, and the fifth worst town in terms of increases to the Live Register.
According to Helen Downes, CEO of the Shannon Chamber of Commerce, the Shannon Industrial Zone has seen some positive news in recent times and it is only a matter of time before it filters down and improves the employment situation in Shannon town and helps prevent immigration.
“We have a lot of really positive new in Shannon over the past couple of week and we are very hopeful about what is to come. We have seen a very positive announcement from Pepper in recent weeks. While I wouldn’t like to predict what will happen, there have been positives reports about Element Six in Shannon and Zimmer continues to be a key employer,” she said.
“I think the spin off for the retail section in Shannon will become apparent down the line. We have to be patient and see that the increased in employment in the industrial centres will lead to an increased football for businesses in Shannon. We are quietly confident that we will see an improvement in the months ahead,” she added.