Monaghan based forklift maker Combilift will create 200 new jobs over the next five years as part of a €40 million investment. Combilift has purchased 40 hectares of industrial zoned land on the Monaghan by-pass with plans to build a 40,000 square meter, greenfield global HQ and manufacturing facility with a devoted research and development building. Most of the 200 jobs will be for skilled technicians and design engineers. A further 200 jobs will be created during the two year construction period of the new facility. The company currently employs over 300 people between its facilities in Monaghan town and Clontibret and is set to double its €150 million turnover by 2020. Matin Mc Vicar, managing director of Combilist, spoke at the announcement of the company’s commitment to continue its organic growth in Monaghan for many years. In addition to the new jobs, Combilift announced that will be submitting an apprenticeship application to accredit its employees and employees of other Irish engineering companies as ‘Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) technicians’. McVicar said “this apprenticeship course plans to educate technicians to be competent in hydraulics, electrics, and troubleshooting diagnostics”. McVicar said that the Cavan Monaghan Education and Training Board (CMETB) will pilot the new apprenticeship programme; this was a strong factor in deciding the location of the manufacturing site which is located close to the Monaghan Institute. The Taoiseach Enda Kenny welcomed the announcement and said Combilift’s new €40 million facility “will make a profound difference to the local economy".