Advanced R&D Technology Wins Major Contract for Galway

Connaught Electronics Ltd. (CEL) has been based in Tuam since 1982 and has steadily grown to become a first-class technical leader in automotive electronics and active vision systems with a striking list of blue chip customers. Name any leading car marque and you can be sure they are clientele of CEL – BMW, Rolls Royce, Volkswagen, Saab, Volvo, Jaguar, DaimlerChrysler, Mercedes Benz … the list seems endless. Add to that a series of industry and innovation awards and it’s clear that CEL is literally a world leader in its field.

CEL is dedicated to the design and manufacture of electronic systems for the automotive industry. Their pioneering camera technology has positioned them as market leaders in Europe and even further a field and looks set to become the future of the company.

CEL was founded by Dr. Joe McBreen and Mr Frank Clancy and is still privately owned. From an initial base of just 4 employees, CEL now employs over 280 people in its Tuam headquarters and has a turnover of €40 million. CEL has a second manufacturing location in the Czech Republic which employs a further 30 employees and a customer support office in Munich, Germany.

Planned Expansion

The company is planning significant growth over the next two years having won a huge contract to design and supply advanced technology for the future generation of BMW cars. ‘The last few months have been a very exciting time for us. Our investment in innovation has paid off. Winning this contract to design and manufacture cutting edge technology for one the of the world’s leading automotive companies, places us in a very positive position. But there’s still a lot to be done. We’re growing rapidly and need more talented engineers to join our already expanding team.’ said Fergus Moyles, General Manager.

Workforce

A large percentage of CEL employees are highly skilled engineers with very specialist skills. The company recognises these employees as a major asset and puts strong focus on employee training and development. Derek Savage, an R&D engineer with CEL had this to say, ‘Since joining CEL, I’ve had exposure to several advanced technological projects. There is huge scope for employees to follow projects through to completion and that kind of ownership and involvement is extremely rewarding’. CEL has also won several Excellence Through People (a national human resource management standard) awards over the last couple of years.

Background

Background CEL began on a small scale by selling vehicle alarm systems exclusively in Ireland and subsequently grew to dominate the domestic market. The company then started to supply specialised products such as remote keyless entry systems, general body electronic control units and active vision systems directly to car manufacturers. In 2004, continual growth led CEL to extend its geographical reach to a second facility in the Czech Republic and open a customer support office in Germany.

CEL believes its success is due to its flexible approach, investment in innovation and ability to respond quickly to the specific requirements of each and every customer. CEL continually provides expert assistance, timely responses and prompt delivery of all products. The company is also environmentally conscious and has received numerous awards as an environmentally responsible producer.

Dedicated to innovation and producing more than five million units annually for the automotive industry, CEL is clearly at the top of its class in design and manufacture of telemetry, security and other automotive electronics. The success of their automotive active vision systems means CEL faces the future with confidence. Winning this new BMW contract is testament to the vision and dedication the company is known for, and is only the beginning of a new and exciting era.