€90 million investment a further vote of confidence by B&L in Waterford
·150 jobs to be created during the construction phase
Waterford Fine Gael Senator John Cummins has warmly welcomed plans by Bausch and Lomb to invest €90 million and create a further 130 jobs at their manufacturing plant in Waterford. The welcome news comes on the back of a further 50 jobs recently announced by Horizon Therapeutics who acquired the Eirgen Pharma’s product manufacturing facility at the Butlerstown IDA business park for $65 million.
Senator Cummins said “During my term as Mayor of Waterford City and County I had the pleasure of meeting Angelo Conti and senior management at Bausch and Lomb where we discussed the company’s plans for expansion in Waterford. Since then Bausch and Lomb have added over 150 employees and invested over €85 million in the expansion of their manufacturing facility. Today’s jobs announcement is a further vote of confidence by Bausch and Lomb in Waterford and will add to their 1500 strong workforce”.
He added “As one of the main-stays of the economy of the city for the past 40 years, Bausch and Lomb continues to play a major role in our community. During its long and successful history in the city, it has always been at the forefront of innovation and I wish all those involved in the development of the facility in the time ahead every success and thank them for their commitment to the city and region”
The investment will further strengthen the Waterford plant’s position in supporting Bausch + Lomb’s efforts to increase market share in the contact lens market. This follows a similar announcement in November 2018 in which the company announced it was investing to increase contact lens manufacturing capacity at its sites in Waterford and Rochester, N.Y. by adding multiple production lines at these two sites to support the manufacture of its innovative daily disposable silicone hydrogel (SiHy daily) contact lenses.
Senator Cummins added “I have been working closely with Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar to emphasise the importance of job creation in Waterford and the wider South East region. Since Fine Gael came into government, we have seen the continued upward trend of IDA supported employment in Waterford. Job numbers have increased from 5217 in 2011 to 7875 at the end of 2020 and I look forward to this trend continuing in the time ahead.
He concluded by saying “Investments like this are testament to the fantastic multinational companies and workforce that we have here in Waterford and the wider South East region. There is no question, Waterford is one of the best locations to live, work and invest in”.