One hundred new jobs are to be created in Ballinasloe at a medical devices company. American company Surmodics have revealed plans to create the new positions, which will come on stream over the next five years.
In addition, it plans to develop the Ballinasloe operations by investing more than €7 million in facility development, and investing a further €9.5m in two significant research and development (R&D ) projects.
Surmodics already employs 32 people at the former Creagh Medical plant, which it acquired last November. The company has headquarters in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, USA, and operates in two areas of the life sciences industry - medical devices and in vitro diagnostics.
The company will continue to be located in Creagh Medical’s existing 30,000 sq ft facility in Ballinasloe. The R&D investment represents a significant step-up in R&D capability for the facility and will require a high level of engineering, chemistry, and scientific skill.
The announcement was made on Monday (June 13 ) by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Mary Mitchell O’Connor, who said the expansion represented “a vote of confidence in the skilled Irish workforce”.
“Companies like Surmodics help develop some of the next generation of life sciences products, thereby further enhancing Ireland’s position in this sector. Only a strong economy supporting people at work can pay for services needed to create a fair society. This will ensure a more inclusive prosperity for all. I wish Surmodics and their workforce the very best for the future.”
President and chief executive officer of Surmodics, Gary R. Maharaj, added: “Surmodics is proud of our talented team of employees and our new state-of-the-art facility for medical device R&D and manufacturing in Ballinasloe. We are pleased to have established a presence in a location where we can hire and develop highly skilled medtech personnel as we continue to invest in our vision of developing highly differentiated product solutions.”
Local Minister Denis Naughten described it as “a major boost for the future of the town”, and said the fact that these jobs are in the medical device sector allows Ballinasloe to attract additional investment from the two existing medical device hubs in Athlone and Galway.
“Both Athlone and Galway have a strong reputation in the medical device sector, but with Ballinasloe now having large amounts of industrially zoned lands as well as the most modern water and wastewater treatment plants in the country, in the Creagh area of Ballinasloe, the town can now feature highly on any future investment plans in this sector,” Deputy Naughten said.
“The fact that Ballinasloe has good primary and post-primary schools, good sports and recreation infrastructure, a first-class hospital, and good road and rail connections makes it an ideal location to base this new investment.
“It is important to recognise that this investment for Ballinasloe has come about because of the commitment of Creagh Medical’s existing staff and management team to the US-based life sciences technologies parent company Surmodics.”
For more information on the new positions see www.creaghmedical.com/careers or email [email protected] for information on specific roles.
