Company to create 100 jobs in major Galway expansion

Date Published: 01-Jul-2010

by Frank Farragher

The city’s growing reputation as an international hub for the medicare industry received another boost this week with confirmation of a major expansion by the Merit Medical company over the next 12 months involving the creation of 100 new jobs.

It is expected that the 100 new manufacturing jobs will come on stream in 2011 at a new multi-million euro extension to Merit’s existing plant at Parkmore East on the east side of the city – a number of temporary construction jobs will also be created in the building of the new plant. The company currrently employs 250 people in the city.

The new jobs will involve the production of surgical pre-packed devices which are now at the cutting edge of acute medical treatments in the emergency and other departments of almost all modern hospitals.

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Batt O’Keeffe, who announced the new jobs on Thursday, said that the total €6.7m investment by Merit Medical, was ‘a significant one’ for Ireland’s Life Science sector.

“Merit Medical has been in Galway for 16 years and the firm’s decision to expand and target research and development adds momentum to the Government’s strategy to move Ireland up the value chain and capture a greater share of the innovation market,” said Minister O’Keeffe.

Mayor of Galway, Michael Crowe, told the Galway City Tribune, that the new jobs were great news for the city and demonstrated the Government’s commitment and capability to attract industry to the West.

“This is a huge vote of confidence not only in the city and region but also in the educational infrastructure of Galway and in the skills of the local workforce,” said Mayor Crowe.

The company employs a total of 1,700 people at its US bases in Utah, Texas and Virginia; its two plants in Holland, and in Galway. It is a world leader in Basix Compaq inflation devices and Haemostasis valves.

For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune