MORE THAN 400 staff at two medical diagnostics plants in Clare and Galway are awaiting news of company plans that are likely to see one of the facilities close.
Beckman Coulter has operated from the Mervue Business Park in Galway for more than three decades and employs about 200 people. In 2009, Beckman took over the former Olympus Diagnostics plant at Lismeahan, Co Clare, where another 200 are employed.
However, this year, Beckman Coulter, including both Irish plants, was purchased by US medical giant Danaher Corporation.
The Irish facilities, which have retained the Beckman Coulter name and identity, develop, manufacture and market products used in complex biomedical testing.
It is now feared that as many as half of the existing positions from both plants combined will be lost following a review of the Irish operation.
Workers were due to be informed of company plans earlier this week, but staff have since been told an announcement will be made “before the end of the week”.
While Beckman leases the facility in the Mervue Business Park, the company owns the site in Co Clare, which has been upgraded in recent years.
Workers in Galway fear the operation will be centralised to Clare. However, workers in Clare are equally afraid the opposite may occur, and that they will have to travel almost 80km to Mervue.