One of the world's leading food companies is to create 40 new jobs at Macroom in Co Cork through a €50 million investment at its baby food plant there.
Danone Baby Nutrition aims to treble its capacity to produce 100,000 tonnes of baby food at the Macroom plant from the beginning of 2012.
Danone employs 350 people at Macroom and in Wexford town, and these plants produce specialised infant and toddler milks such as Cow and Gate and Aptamil.
Building work at the plant is due to begin next February and will involve 200 construction workers, with a commitment from the company that most of the construction work will be carried out by Irish companies.
The new plant is expected to go into production early in 2012 and the 40 new staff will be recruited in the areas of food science, engineering and supply chain management.
The investment is being supported by the Government through Enterprise Ireland and Enterprise Minister Batt O’Keeffe said it will result in increased exports of €150m, and an increased spend on local raw materials of €65m over the next three years.
