Politicians and key business figures may be more accustomed to chatting over champagne and canapés, but yesterday (Monday) it was tins of baby food that got tongues wagging.
For the second time this month the positive news of job creation was on the lips of cabinet members.
Following on from the announcement of 200 new jobs at Clearstream, Enniscorthy, it was revealed by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton that a further 50 new jobs are set to be created at the Danone Nutricia Early Life Nutrition’s extended facility in Wexford.
Minister Bruton was joined by Wexford man Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin at the official launch of a new €26 million production line as part of the Enterprise Ireland supported expansion programme.
The move concludes the €180m expansion project which has been underway at the Roxborough based plant over the past three years.
The new jobs mean that by the end of 2014 the firm will employ a total of 400 people locally.
During the construction phase of the project, overseen by local site leader Liam Carmody, a total of 120 jobs were created.
The 50 new permanent roles within the firm are in areas such as quality, food science, operations, engineering as well as supply chain and logistics.
The recruitment process for the 50 new roles has commenced, and more information can be found at [email protected]. All of the roles are expected to be filled by the end of this year.
This significant investment in the local industry was prompted by a need to increase the plant’s capacity in response to a growing demand for infant and toddler milks across Europe and Asia.
Speaking at the launch, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton T.D. said: “I am delighted to be back in Wexford to announce the creation of a further 50 new jobs at the Danone Nutricia Early Life Nutrition facility. Three years ago my Department put in place the South East Plan to deal with the historic unemployment problems in this region – today’s announcement is the latest in a string of announcements, from Irish companies in particular, that have contributed to jobs growth of over 14,000 in the region in the past three years. These high quality-manufacturing jobs will have a major knock-on impact on the local economy in particular in the dairy industry.”