New branch of US firm will bring 40 new jobs to Waterford, Varadkar confirms

Forty new jobs will be created in Waterford City by a US communications firm over the next two years. 

News of PublicRelay's plans to establish a media analytics centre in the city was confirmed by Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar.  

He said, "I’m really pleased PublicRelay has chosen Waterford City as the location for its new media analytics centre, which will create 40 new jobs over the next couple of years.

"It’s a real sign of the company’s confidence in Ireland and the wealth of talent we have here. Thank you to the team for their continued commitment and investment and the very best of luck with this latest expansion."

Founded in 2008 and with operations in Denver, San Diego, and Portland, PublicRelay provides clients with insights based on their media coverage in print, online, broadcast, and social media. 

The company opened its first European office in Dublin in 2018, followed by its Cavan site in 2019, with the expansion in Waterford City making it their third site in Ireland. 

PublicRelay will operate on a hybrid basis with its South-East Hub located in BoxWorks 2, a co-working space in Waterford City. 

President and CEO, Eric Koefoot, said, "Our experience in Ireland has been outstanding since we opened our first office here in 2018. We’ve been able to access a hardworking, highly educated, and friendly work force, and our Irish team has been a big factor in our company success over the past four years. I’m delighted that we are now in a position to open our third office in Ireland, and I am looking forward to visiting Waterford very soon." 

Director of Irish Operations, Karl Finn, said, "We are excited to be further expanding our operations in Ireland. We looked at a number of locations around the country, but the proximity of the university combined with a great facility in such a vibrant area of the city won us over. I was impressed with Boxworks’ flexibility and willingness to adapt to our needs as we built out the team."