Business deals signed during Ireland trade mission

Prior to a reception hosted by Irish Prime Minister (Taoiseach) Bertie Ahern yesterday evening, Industry, Trade and Technology Minister Sandra Kelly and the Taoiseach attended the signing of four agreements between Irish and Newfoundland and Labrador organizations.

The reception was one of the events held for the Newfoundland and Labrador business mission to the Republic of Ireland, which is currently taking place and concludes on October 13. The mission was organized by Ireland Business Partnerships and the St. John's Board of Trade and includes 23 Newfoundland and Labrador companies and organizations.

During the Taoiseach�s remarks at the reception, he announced the establishment of a new entity, Newfoundland and Labrador Business Partnerships, which will mirror the province�s Ireland Business Partnerships. "We have made great progress under the memorandum of understanding between Ireland and Newfoundland and Labrador, but there is so much more that we can do together,"said the Taoiseach. "Reflecting on the real worthwhile results achieved and the great potential for the future, I have decided that the time has come to establish this new entity. The steps to bring Newfoundland and Labrador Business Partnerships and its board into being are already in hand and I look forward to this partnership of partnerships."

Commenting on the deals that were signed before the reception, and the ongoing partnership with Ireland, Minister Kelly noted: "The MOU between Newfoundland and Labrador and the Republic of Ireland continues to be a catalyst for successful partnerships. The deals signed during this mission highlight the ongoing business link that our two regions share."

The following four agreements were signed in Ireland yesterday:

Operation ONLINE, the organization responsible for advancing growth in Newfoundland and Labrador�s information technology sector, signed a deal with Ireland�s County Enterprise Boards, which are similar to the province�s Regional Economic Development Boards. Through this agreement, Operation ONLINE will co-develop an "E-Learning Repository" for small enterprise for Ireland�s County Enterprise Boards and participants in Operation ONLINE�s e-commerce project in Newfoundland and Labrador. The repository, which will be piloted in January 2001 and officially launched in March 2001, is expected to include online training programs for e-business, learning modules and other resource materials. The value of this project is approximately $375,000 Cdn.

An agreement was also signed between Mount Pearl-based Construction Management Technologies (CMT), the Town of Bishop�s Falls and Butler Manufacturing of Ireland. The agreement came as a result of the Irish trade mission to Newfoundland and Labrador in September 1999. CMT has signed a licensee agreement with Butler Manufacturing to provide compact packaged sewerage treatment plants to the Canadian market. CMT plans to establish a manufacturing operation in the province to produce these units. The Town of Bishop�s Falls has agreed to purchase the first unit at a cost of $150,000 Cdn. and install this unit as a test market for the product. If successful, it is proposed that the town will purchase subsequent units to support a manufacturing plant in the community. CMT will pursue other orders both locally and internationally for this plant. Seamus Butler of Butler Manufacturing is party to this agreement by way of the inventor, licensor and patent holder of the treatment plants.

Guign� International Ltd. and Aquafact International Ltd. of Ireland signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate in the provision of technology-based services for marine environmental management. Guign� is a design engineering firm and original equipment manufacturer. The business was originally established to advance innovative designs in underwater acoustics and adaptive signal/information processing. The company has diversified into designs for acoustic positioning and levitation for space-based advanced material processing. Aquafact is an environmental consultancy specializing in monitoring and managing resources in the marine, freshwater and terrestrial environments.

Finally, the St. John�s Board of Trade, Ireland Business Partnerships and the Galway Chamber of Commerce have signed an "Agreement for Economic Cooperation." Through this agreement, the three organizations plan to enter into a formal relationship to explore mutually advantageous cooperation initiatives and relationships through respective memberships, management and organization resources.

Photo #1: Operation Online
Front (l-r) Eamonn Kelly (chairman of the CEOs of the Country Enterprise Boards); Sam Walters (Operation ONLINE)

Photo#2 & #3: Guigne International Ltd.
Back: (l-r) Ray Whalen (Guigne), Taoiseach, Brendan O'Conner (Managing Director, Aquafact International Ltd.)

Photo#4 & #5: Construction Management Technologies
front: (l-r) Seamus Butler (Butler Manufacturing), Nancy Hanrahan (Bishop's Falls Development Corp.), Al Ducey (Construction Management Technologies), Derek Ducey (Construction Management Technologies)

Photo#6: Board of Trade
back (l-r) Minister Kelly, Taoiseach, Noel Treacy (Minister for Science, Technology and Commerce)

Photo#7: Group Photo
A group photo of all participants who signed deals.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Media are asked to contact Diane Keough at the Department of Industry, Trade and Technology at (709) 729-2257 to arrange interviews from Ireland with Minister Kelly.

Media contact: Jacqueline Simon, Communications, (709) 729-0050.

2000 10 10 11:10 a.m.