Becton, Dickinson and Company is to invest €52m in the development and expansion of its medical devices global manufacturing centre in Drogheda, Co Louth. The expansion is expected to create an extra 125 jobs over the next five years. The centre currently has a workforce of 95.
The investment is being supported by IDA Ireland.
The New Jersey-headquartered BD makes and sells medical devices, instrumented systems and reagents for healthcare institutions, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, industry and the general public.
The company was one of the first IDA-supported overseas medical technology company to set up a facility here. It first started operations in Drogheda in 1974 and then in Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin in 1970. It employs a total of 450 people in Ireland.
BD also has a small shared services centre in Shannon, and is an industry partner in the Biomedical Diagnostics Institute in DCU.
The Minister for Enterprises, Trade and Employment, Micheal Martin, said that BD's decision to expand its Drogheda centre is excellent news as it consolidates the existing operation and will provide additional employment in Drogheda.
'Today's announcement underlines IDA Ireland's efforts to encourage the expansion of existing multinational companies in Ireland to take on additional high value activities to sustain competitiveness for the future,' he said.
