POWER-ONE OPENS FACILITY IN IRELAND.

Byline: Gregory J. Wilcox Staff Writer

CAMARILLO - Power-One Inc., the world's sixth-largest power supply equipment maker, said Tuesday that it has opened a 35,000-square-foot research and development facility in Limerick, Ireland.

This plant replaces a smaller operation in the Irish city.

Workers there will develop advanced power products used in the communications industry.

``We're very excited about our new facility and how well it integrates into Power-One's worldwide operations. This ... will enable us to dramatically accelerate the introduction of our next generation products,'' Antoin Russell, managing director of Power-One Ireland, said in a statement.

The facility uses the same high-speed equipment that is installed at Power-One manufacturing sites, which makes for a smooth transitions from engineering-prototype runs into high-volume production.

The company decided to expand in Ireland because of the combination of available technological talent and government support, said Bill Yeates, Power-One's president and chief operating officer.

Christopher B. Lippincott, an analyst at McDonald Investments Inc., said that the new research and development plant is a good investment for the Camarillo-based company as the sector has encountered softness.

``It's a good move because the more R&D they have the more products they can launch and that helps them ultimately down the road add to revenue growth,'' he said.

Power-One also has research and development facilities in Boston, Uster, Switzerland; Camarillo, Irvine, Drammen, Norway; Austin, Texas, and the Dominican Republic.

Manufacturing is done in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, California, Puerto Rico, Switzerland, Slovakia, Norway and China.