THE DECISION by US eye care firm Alcon Laboratories to invest over €20 million in its plant in Cork and create 186 new jobs will be of major assistance to the IDA in attracting new companies, according to IDA Ireland chief executive Barry O'Leary.
Mr O'Leary said the Alcon decision to embark on this investment, which will see its existing workforce of 200 almost double over five years, means the firm is reaching a critical mass in terms of scale for its Cork operation.
Details of the investment were announced by Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin, who said Ireland was achieving notable successes in attracting companies in the medical devices sector, with some embarking on research and development at their Irish plants.
Mr Martin said the investment by Alcon with support from IDA Ireland was a credit to the local management and workforce, who had demonstrated their ability to consistently meet stringent manufacturing and quality demands in a short timeframe. "Alcon is a real example of a company absorbing the skills and expertise and support mechanisms that Ireland has to offer, and in turn making a substantial contribution to the Irish economy and to employment in the region," he added.
Cork became the first location outside the US to manufacture Alcon's leading surgical product - the AcrySof® intraocular lens - a prosthetic lens that replaces the eye's natural lens after cataract surgery.
Yesterday, Alcon senior vice-president of manufacturing Ed McGough said the firm was proud at the way the Cork plant had adapted to manufacturing its leading surgical product. "The successful transformation of our Cork manufacturing plant from the production of large refractive lasers to small, complex intraocular lenses is a testament to the ingenuity of the highly motivated workforce we have in Cork," he said. "Producing intraocular lenses in Cork fits very nicely into our global strategy of producing the finished format of certain products as close to the final customer as possible."
Cork Chamber of Commerce chief executive Conor Healy welcomed the announcement and said that, following recent project announcements at EMC and Arris, it augured well for the region.
"This announcement by Alcon shows a further commitment to their future in the region. Credit must be given to the management and staff of Alcon, as well as the positive business environment in Cork which has led to Alcon taking this investment decision."
