Animal biotech group Enfer is set to create 120 new jobs over the next 18 months in Naas, Co Kildare, where it has doubled the size of its facility in a €10 million investment.
Enfer, which already employs about 120 staff, has doubled the size of its diagnostic and research centre in Naas to 4,645sq m (50,000sq ft) to cater for the launch of a diagnostics arm that that will help test for a variety of animal diseases.
The new facility was opened yesterday by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.
The Irish company has developed diagnostic test kits for the bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) and ParaTB, products that it plans to sell in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and the US.
"Germany and Switzerland have launched disease-eradication schemes that will begin the spring of next year and will increase the demand for our [ BVD] tests," said Martin Crowley, Enfer's finance chief.
BVD is not harmful to human health, but Mr O'Connor said the eradication schemes were being planned to improve animal welfare and boost production on farms.
Founded in 1990 by Louis Ronan and Michael O'Connor, Enfer operates from facilities in Clonmel, Newbridge and Naas. Latest accounts show that its turnover declined in 2005 to €15.9 million from €21.2 million a year earlier. Its pre-tax profit was €3.5 million that year compared with €8.4 million in 2004.
Mr O'Connor said the decline in turnover and profits was the result of increased spending on research and development and increased competition.
Enfer was one of the first companies in the world to launch a rapid test screening system for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). The company can test accurately for BSE within three hours.
