Drinks and snacks company PepsiCo Ireland has today announced a new €39m expansion of its manufacturing facilities at its site in Little Island in Co Cork.
This follows the completion of a €127m investment in the same site and the adjacent research and development facilities earlier this year.
The new facility will expand PepsiCo's Little Island manufacturing capacity for its range of drinks ingredients, support increased demand for existing products and play a key role in bringing PepsiCo's innovation pipeline to its global customer base.
The company's global brands include Pepsi, Pepsi Max, Gatorade, 7Up and Mountain Dew.
Today's expansion also includes a €2.4m investment in a solar PV installation at the Little Island facility, which will significantly reduce the amount of electricity consumed at the site.
PepsiCo said the new Solar PV installation will generate 1820 kW and will have peak capacity to provide 100% of the plant's electrical demand.
Over the course of a year, the solar panels will provide 22% of the electricity required by the site, it added.
The company has an Irish workforce of more 1,250 people and has continued to increase operations personnel at its Cork plant to support its growth, where it has about 100 vacancies at the moment.
PepsiCo’s Little Island Site Director, Brian Colgan, said the company's latest investment will provide additional capacity for the markets it serves, enhance production capability.
It will also further reinforce the strong sustainability credentials of the site in Little Island, he said.
"As we approach 50 years in Cork, we are extremely proud of this latest milestone and the benefits that will arise for Little Island and the wider Cork region," he added.
Michael Lohan, CEO of IDA Ireland, said that today’s announcement by PepsiCo comes on the heels of another multimillion-euro announcement at the same site earlier this year.
"For almost 50 years, PepsiCo has been creating employment in Ireland and we wish the team every success as they continue to advance their operations here," Mr Lohan added.
The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney said this latest multi-million euro investment by PepsiCo, the second this year, reinforces its commitment to Ireland and to Cork.
"The company's positive impact on the Irish economy since it first established a presence here in 1974 is hugely significant," the Minister added.
