Galway received a jobs boost yesterday when it was announced that ZELTIQ Aesthetics, Inc. a medical technology company focused on developing and commercialising products utilizing its proprietary controlled-cooling technology, is to establish a European manufacturing facility in the city, which is expected to create about 60 jobs over the next 18 months.
The news comes just days after 100 jobs were announced for Ballinasloe where American company Surmodics plans to develop the former Creagh Medical plant by investing more than €7 million in facility development, and investing a further €9.5m in two significant research and development (R&D ) projects.
US-based Zeltiq is headquartered in Pleasanton, California, where it also has research and development, finance, marketing, manufacturing and distribution facilities, amongst other support functions.
In addition to manufacturing, ZELTIQ will locate other functions in Galway to support the manufacturing operations. The company employs over 600 people on a worldwide basis. The project is supported by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation through IDA Ireland.
Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Mary Mitchell O’Connor welcomed the announcement and said that this is a really exciting development for Galway.
“Ireland already has a dynamic and vibrant medical technologies sector and we are keen to expand its footprint into new areas, and especially to see it develop further into regional centres. ZELTIQ’s new manufacturing facility and the valuable jobs and economic impact to be created will enhance Ireland’s attractiveness for further similar investments.
“One of the areas I will be focusing on as minister is to encourage more job growth in our regions as 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 ZELTIQ and its team all the best for the future.
“With millions of CoolSculpting treatments performed in more than 70 countries around the world, ZELTIQ is firmly establishing itself as a global leader in the noninvasive fat reduction market, which is the fastest growing segment in the aesthetics space,” said Mark Foley, president and CEO of ZELTIQ. “We are very pleased to partner with IDA Ireland at this stage of the company’s growth, invest in Galway, and contribute to the local economy through the creation of new jobs.”
IDA Ireland’s CEO Martin Shanahan said that he is delighted to see this innovative medical technology company establish a European manufacturing facility in Galway, adding to the growing number of medical technology companies here and further enhancing the region’s reputation as an excellent location for such business.
For information on the new opportunities, visit www.zeltiq.com, and click on Careers. Then search current openings in the Galway, Ireland location.
ZELTIQ® Aesthetics, Inc. is a medical technology company focused on developing and commercializing products utilising its proprietary controlled-cooling technology platform. ZELTIQ’s first commercial product, the CoolSculpting system, is designed to selectively reduce unwanted fat that may not respond to diet or exercise. The CoolSculpting procedure is based on the scientific principle that fat cells are more sensitive to cold than the overlying skin and surrounding tissues.
It utilises patented technology of precisely controlled cooling to reduce the temperature of fat cells in the treated area, which is intended to cause fat cell elimination through a natural biological process known as apoptosis. ZELTIQ developed the CoolSculpting procedure to safely, noticeably, and measurably reduce the fat layer.
Meanwhile in Ballinasloe, American company Surmodics has revealed plans to create 100 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”.
