Pharmaceutical Company Announces 150 Waterford Jobs

150 jobs are expected to be created in Waterford by West Pharmaceutical Services, supplier of solutions for injectable drug administration.

The company is expanding its global manufacturing operations to include a new site in Waterford that will produce packaging components for insulin injector cartridges.

The announcement was made by Enda Kenny and Jobs Minister Richard Bruton today.

Mr Kenny said: "I am delighted with this announcement of a new manufacturing facility in the South East by West Pharmaceutical Services which will create 100 construction jobs during its development and an initial 150 new jobs when operational. It is a massive boost for Waterford and the entire South East and I am happy that Government was able to assist through the work of the IDA."

Jobs Minister Richard Bruton said: "The South East has been a key focus of my Department and Agencies since shortly after I took office. We have put in place structures like the South East Forum to bring a greater focus to this region. In the past two years the number of site visits as been well over twice what it was before 2011, we have seen many substantial jobs announcements and employment in the region has increased by well over 10,000 in the past two years."

"With diabetes emerging as one of the fastest growing diseases globally, our pharmaceutical customers are expanding their production lines for injectable insulin. To meet this growing demand, we are announcing an expansion today that will help us address this need and continue to serve this critical patient population," said Donald E. Morel, Jr., West's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "In the future, we intend for this site to be a center of excellence for advanced packaging components to meet the needs of our customer base for a range of sophisticated injectable therapies."

Construction is planned to begin in early 2015 on the 44-acre site at Knockhouse on Old Kilmeaden Road in Waterford.

(IT/CD)