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Rick Osentoski

Shock in Monaghan as Bose closure sees 140 jobs axed

The company had been manufacturing audio systems in Monaghan since 1978, but will wind down and cease operations in April.

Updated 6.25pm 

HEADPHONE GIANT BOSE is to cease operations at its plant in Carrickmacross — with the loss of 140 jobs.

The company has been manufacturing audio systems in Monaghan since 1978 but will wind down and cease operations in April.

The firm says it will be “consolidating its wholly-owned manufacturing operations, closing its facilities in Columbia, South Carolina, and Carrickmacross, Ireland, to streamline the company’s global supply chain”.

Bose employs around 10,500 people and has sales of $3.3 billion.

Carrickmacross provides final assembly for select home theatre systems and radios for the European market, as well as some remanufacturing for the region. Operations will transfer to Bose facilities in Malaysia and Mexico.

Bryan Fontaine, Bose executive vice president of global operations and corporate development engineering, said the move came to keep pace with demand from customers and resellers.

“But these are still difficult decisions because they impact our very capable teams in South Carolina and Ireland. We thank all of them for their dedication, and we thank the communities of Columbia and Carrickmacross for their years of support.”

Siptu representatives will meet with management to discuss its plans, the union said in a statement this evening, following the announcement.

Organiser Jim McVeigh said the “devastating” news came “as a complete bolt out of the blue”.

Workers have been given tomorrow off but the meeting has been arranged for Monday. Siptu hopes it can salvage the jobs. Politicians from the area are also rallying to help the workforce, the majority of whom live in the locality.

‘Shock’

Local Fine Gael TD Sean Conlan said the announcement came as “a shock to everybody” in the area with no prior notification that it was happening.

“I’ve been in touch with the Minister for Jobs, Richard Bruton, and have asked him to put together a coordinated effort with the IDA to immediately address this situation,” he told TheJournal.ie this evening.

“We now need an alternative employer in the south Monaghan area. Bose was here for nearly 40 years in the county.”

Midlands North West Sinn Féin MEP Matt Carthy, who is from the town, said he is “devastated” at the news.

“I know many of the 140 full time Bose staff personally and I am absolutely devastated to hear of the planned closure of this manufacturing plant in Carrickmacross. The plant is a well established local employer and the announcement today will cause widespread disbelief.

“Today’s announcement is not just a harsh blow to the staff and their families but to the wider community and local economy, which will be severely impacted by the closure of the plant.

“Unfortunately, this area has been ignored by too long by successive Governments. Monaghan has only has two visits by the IDA in the past 5 years and many will remember that Bose was the last significant employer attracted to this region by the IDA in the late 70s.”

- additional reporting from Hugh O’Connell 

First published 5.35pm 

Read: Fears for Irish jobs as eBay announces plans to cut 2,400 positions

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33 Comments
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    Mute Earth Traveller
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    Sep 19th 2022, 4:55 PM

    Another week, another apology from Aer Fungus.

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    Mute john howard
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    Sep 19th 2022, 4:57 PM

    Here we go again. The patch on the cable mustn’t have worked.

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    Mute Paul Shepherd
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    Sep 19th 2022, 6:33 PM

    @john howard: that’s what happens when you use cellotape from Poundworld unfortunately.

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    Mute John Sheahan
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    Sep 19th 2022, 5:01 PM

    Yere playing a blinder this month lads. Well done.

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    Mute Richard Ahern
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    Sep 19th 2022, 5:01 PM

    I’ll probably get the jaws chewed off me here, but is it okay if I say that my recent experience with Air Lingus, was first class in both directions. Their staff friendly & helpful & I felt appreciated. Thank you Air Lingus.

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    Mute Sandra Molloy
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    Sep 19th 2022, 5:05 PM

    @Richard Ahern: but that’s what you paid for as per the Sale of Goods & Supply of Services Act. A lot less than that is becoming their norm.

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    Mute Frank Cauldhame
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    Sep 20th 2022, 3:24 PM

    @Richard Ahern: 5 of us flew with Aer Lingus last Thursday and unfortunately, just an hour before boarding a friend noticed her maiden name on her boarding pass instead of her marriage name. It was panic all stations but the lady at the Aer Lingus ticket desk in T2 was incredibly professional, courteous and very pleasant. She re-issued the boarding pass at no extra cost but it was her lovely manner which impressed us. I’m not anti-Ryanair but they would have charged an extra €46 to do the exact same.

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    Mute Ian James Burgess
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    Sep 19th 2022, 6:05 PM

    How many technical issues are on the journal today, and they want you to go cashless. Ha ha

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    Mute Don Hogan
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    Sep 19th 2022, 5:04 PM

    Flew to US from Dublin on Friday. Had difficulty accessing Verifly app because I deleted it after my last trip. Several attempts to reactivate Verify app failed, because the QR code link did not work. Had to remove app from phone and install on IPad to get Verifly app to work.After that no problems except that boarding pass could not be sent to mobile.

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    Mute Damian Anslik
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    Sep 20th 2022, 12:20 AM

    @Don Hogan: Verifly is absolute garbage. Absolutely no reason they couldn’t have integrated it with the actual app.

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    Riaf
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    Mute Riaf
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    Sep 19th 2022, 6:06 PM

    Having some year, cancelled flights were only the start

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    Mute Bunny Johnson
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    Sep 19th 2022, 5:59 PM

    Nothing new. Flew to Barcelona Sunday, flight delayed 90 mins or so. Flew home Sat, flight delayed 2 hours (Ryanair’s was 3.5 I think). Daughter flying to UK today delayed twice so far now 18:45 from 16:55.
    I know today is a bank holiday but this is getting ridiculous. Compensation need to be applied earlier, say 30 mins from the airlines and/or airports as this really screws up everything.

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