A picture of Blarney castle under a blue cloud sky with beautiful gardens in foreground.
Blarney Castle, Cork. Image: © Ronin/Stock.adobe.com

Cork jobs boost as ILC Dover and Clonakilty Distillery create 100 jobs

2 Nov 2018

An interesting mixer, from pharma to distilling.

Two companies – one in pharmaceuticals and another in the drinks business – are to create 100 jobs in Cork. The largest of the jobs projects (70 new roles) comes from pharma player ILC Dover.

ILC Dover, a global leader in flexible containment solutions for the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industry, has announced it is expanding its Irish production footprint by opening a location in Blarney, Co Cork.

‘Manufacturing excellence in pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals is a hallmark of Ireland’s success in the sector, and is one of the primary reasons as to why Ireland is home to 10 of the top 10 global pharmaceutical companies’
– MARY BUCKLEY

“Ireland is now a major player and a very attractive location for companies like ILC Dover to grow their operations, and I look forward to a mutually beneficial partnership developing,” said Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation Heather Humphreys, TD.

The new facility will generate the 70 jobs over a two-year period and, in addition to production space, the new facility will contain state-of-the-art offices, meeting rooms and a product demonstration area for client visits.

It’s 10 out of 10 for Ireland’s pharma ambitions

“The expansion of our production capabilities in Ireland will allow us to better serve our global customer base and strengthen our position as the leading single-use powder-handling solutions provider to the global pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical marketplace,” ILC Dover CEO Fran DiNuzzo said.

The building will be operational in the first quarter of 2019 and outfitted with 4,000 sq ft of ISO 7 cleanroom capacity and 6,500 sq ft of Class 8, both dedicated to the company’s pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical product lines. When at full production, the company expects to hire up to 70 new ILC Dover employees.

The new roles will include management, production, quality, design and support. The company’s original operation in Co Cork will be relocated to the Blarney site as part of the expansion project.

“Clients of ILC Dover will be happy to see that we’re focused on providing additional capacity located in the region with expanded technical resources,” explained Curtis Gingles, vice-president and general manager of the company’s pharmaceutical division. “The market for our products is experiencing incredible growth, and this expansion will ensure we can keep up with the growing demand for the high-quality products used in manufacturing lifesaving therapies.”

IDA Ireland executive director Mary Buckley said: “Manufacturing excellence in pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals is a hallmark of Ireland’s success in the sector and is one of the primary reasons as to why Ireland is home to 10 of the top 10 global pharmaceutical companies.

“Winning investment for regional locations is a key focus for IDA Ireland and the resulting increase in employment this expansion will create is very important, and I wish the company every success here and will follow your progress with interest.”

Separately, in West Cork, Clonakilty Distillery is set to create 30 new jobs with the opening of its new distillery, visitor experience and restaurant on 8 December.

John Kennedy
By John Kennedy

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years. His interests include all things technological, music, movies, reading, history, gaming and losing the occasional game of poker.

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