All 60 employees of Cybex Europe Ltd at Shannon were yesterday given a surprise gift of 50 shares in the company by the president and chief executive of the US parent company, Mr Steve Thornton. He was speaking at the official opening of its new premises which was the Lana-Knit plant. With the share value rising recently by 50 per cent to just over $23 each, the staff gift starts off at $1,200 (£838).

Mr Kieran McSweeney, president and managing director of the Shannon plant, which is the European headquarters of Cybex Computer Products Corporation, said it was now the top developer and supplier of computer hardware switches in Europe following the recent takeover of Elsner Computertechnick and its subsidiary , PolyCon Data, of Steinhagen, Germany, for £5.3 million.