More than 300 new jobs are to be created in the Republic across three companies, it was announced yesterday.

Global online payments firm YapStone is to create 200 jobs as part of a (€41 million) investment here, while pharmacy chain CarePlus plans to recruit 70 and Zevas Communications is looking to recruit 50.

YapStone, which first established operations in Ireland in 2012, officially opened a new 16,000sq ft (1,486sq m) international headquarters in Drogheda, Co Louth, last year where it currently employs 125 people.

YapStone said it had decided to grow its Irish presence by establishing a product engineering development centre at its Drogheda facility with recruitment commencing in early 2018 for more than 200 highly skilled engineering and technology roles over the next five years.

“Partnering with the Irish Government is one of the best decisions our leadership team has made,” said Tom Villante, co-founder and chief executive of the company. “We have hired tremendous talent in Ireland, and they have played a major role in YapStone’s success and international expansion. It was a natural decision for us to expand our investment in Irish talent into technology.”

YapStone provides web and mobile payment solutions for targeted markets, including holiday and apartment rentals, commercial real estate, self-storage and non-profits.

Pharmacies

CarePlus, meanwhile, is planning to expand with the opening of 12 new outlets. The new pharmacies will open in Dublin, Kerry, Cork and Tipperary in the coming months. Each store is undergoing significant investment, the company said.

The announcement will bring the number of CarePlus pharmacies across the Republic to 51. The company has aggressive growth plans to reach 150 pharmacies across the State by 2020.

CarePlus also said it was in “advanced negotiations” with a number of national pharmacy operators, with “significant new partnerships” expected to be announced early next year.

Separately, Cork has received a jobs boost with the news that locally-founded company Zevas Communications, which provides outsourced sales services nationally and internationally, plans to create an additional 50 jobs at its Ballintemple base.

The new positions are in the area of telesales and digital marketing and stem from the company winning two new contracts with international global digital technology companies.

“We are delighted to have secured two more top-tier global companies as clients and our continued expansion is firmly establishing us on the world stage for outsourced customer contact solutions,” said John O’Sullivan,chief operating officer at Zevas Communications.