10 March 2015
By Bryan T. Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
160 jobs to be retained in decision
The East Cork based Minister of State for Trade Promotion Seán Sherlock TD (Labour) has confirmed that the Little Island facility of Pfizer, which the company had marked for sale two years ago, is to be retained within the company’s portfolio along with the security of 160 jobs at the site.
“This is great news not just for the Little Island workers, but for the Cork region overall,” said Minister Sherlock.
“This is a strong vote of confidence by Pfizer in what the Cork facilities are operating and producing on the ground. The products being created at Little Island secured the site’s viability. The skill and work ethic of the workers and local management was crucial to this decision. I was delighted to work with the company on this issue and other matters such as the recent investment of $30 million in a new unit at Ringaskiddy.”
“There are a lot of changes happening in the pharmaceutical sector worldwide and Cork is to the fore in those changes with our pharma-cluster in this region.”
The New Product Technology Laboratory will allow the Cork plant to begin making drugs from the company’s R&D pipeline for the clinical trial phase, adding to the capability of the Irish operation.