Tánaiste Announces Investment of £52 Million to Create 420 New Jobs for CorkStrategic Expansions at Two IDA Supported Companiesin Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork.

Mary Harney, Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment announced today (Friday 15th December 2000) that two existing IDA Ireland supported companies in Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork, are to invest a total of IR£52 million for major strategic expansions of their facilities which will create a total of 420 new jobs by the end of 2005.

Millipore Ireland BV is to create 220 new jobs in developments involving investment of over IR£17 million for the establishment of additional membrane manufacturing capacity at Millipore Ireland and for the expansion of the existing filtration devices manufacturing operation. Recruitment has commenced for the initial phase.

Stryker Corporation of the USA, a leading company in the global orthopaedics sector, is to invest almost £35 million in the expansion of its Co. Cork, facility - Stryker Howmedica Osteonics - creating 200 new jobs. It manufactures high performance orthopaedic hip and knee implants and the new jobs will be for people with a range of engineering, material science and advanced manufacturing qualifications and skills.

"These investments are in line with Government policy of deepening the roots and adding more value in the Irish economy, of well established overseas companies. Both of the expansions involve the introduction of key new technologies and processes to the Cork operations, which will result in them becoming very significant players in their parent company’s global manufacturing strategies," said the Tánaiste.

"A key element of Government strategy, working through IDA Ireland strategy, is to work with overseas companies already located here to encourage and assist them in moving their Irish facilities up the value chain, in order to provide higher quality, higher paid employment. This strategy strengthens the sustainability of the Irish operation and enhances its value to both the local economy where it is located and to the national economy," said the Tánaiste.

In the Medical Devices sector in Ireland, in which Stryker and Millipore operate, IDA Ireland supports over 80 companies, including 13 of the world’s top 20 companies. These companies employ over 16,000 people in the development, manufacture and marketing of the diverse range of products associated with the sector and make a major contribution to the local and national economy through their expenditure on wages, raw materials and services.

"An important consideration for these medical devices companies is the existence of Ireland’s reliable, high quality subsupply infrastructure. In order to facilitate and improve communications within the sector, to maximise the expenditure by the companies with subsuppliers from within Ireland and to increase Ireland’s potential to attract further significant investments from the sector, IDA Ireland has compiled a ‘Healthcare Supply Chain’ database on its website," added the Tánaiste.

Millipore’s Cork facility, which currently has over 270 permanent employees, was established in 1988 to manufacture membranes and filtration devices for the healthcare, life sciences and pharmaceutical industries. In 1998 the latest addition was established in Carrigtwohill to provide specialised membranes for the healthcare diagnostic industry.

The investment announced today is for the establishment of additional membrane manufacturing capacity at Millipore Ireland and for the expansion of the existing filtration devices manufacturing operation. A new 24,000 sq. ft. building is to be constructed adjacent to the existing facility.

"This new investment is a significant achievement, giving the Cork facility a strong future. The investment involves the transfer and development of key technologies and processes which will result in the facility becoming a significant player Millipore’s global manufacturing strategy. Securing further investment and additional responsibilities has been a key objective of IDA and Millipore’s Irish management for some time," said the Tánaiste.

Mr. Michael O’Dea, Plant Manager, Millipore Ireland BV, said, "This investment by our parent company, coupled with IDA Ireland’s backing, strengthens the position of the Cork plant as a leading quality production facility within Millipore Corporation and is a tremendous vote of confidence in Millipore’s Irish operations."

Millipore is a multinational, high technology company that applies its purification technology to critical research and manufacturing applications in the biosciences and microelectronics industries.

Millipore Corporation is a publicly quoted company on the New York Stock Exchange. It was established in 1954 in Bedford Massachusetts, U.S.A. and employs 5,000 people world-wide. The company has major manufacturing facilities in Ireland, USA, Puerto Rico, Japan and France and over thirty offices around the world. In 1999, the company had sales of £700 million with a net profit, after tax of £58 million.

Stryker Corporation. Stryker Corporation of the USA, a leading company in the global orthopaedics sector, is to invest almost £35 million, with the support of IDA Ireland, in the expansion of its Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork, facility - Stryker Howmedica Osteonics - creating 200 new jobs by the end of 2005. The facility manufactures high performance orthopaedic hip and knee implants. The new jobs will provide employment opportunities for people with a range of engineering, material science and advanced manufacturing qualifications and skills.

The expansion of the Cork operation will focus on the manufacture of high added value products for the orthopaedics market, such as long life hip and knee replacement systems with high performance bearing components. These products offer a reduction in pain and increased mobility to patients suffering from osteo-arthritis and other joint related ailments. The investment follows a very successful start-up of the Cork operation and is based on the significant growth anticipated in this important healthcare market internationally.

"The introduction of key new technologies and processes to the Cork operation will result in it becoming a very significant player in Stryker’s global manufacturing strategy," said the Tánaiste. To facilitate the expansion, Stryker is acquiring 6 acres of land from IDA Ireland, adjacent to its existing facility, and is planning to add a further 80,000 sq. ft. to the existing building. Stryker Corporation is a publicly quoted healthcare company with headquarters in Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. It manufactures a wide range of surgical and medical products such as orthopaedic implants, endoscopic equipment and powered instruments. It employs over 12,000 people worldwide.

The Howmedica Osteonics division of Stryker was established in December 1998 following Stryker’s acquisition of Howmedica, the orthopaedic division of Pfizer. Stryker Corporation now has three manufacturing facilities in Ireland.

Two facilities are located at Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork. Stryker Howmedica Osteonics, the subject of this expansion, produces hip and knee implants mainly for the European, Japanese and South East Asian markets. It commenced operations in 1998 and currently employs 80 people, well ahead of its original employment target. Stryker Instruments employs 65 people in the manufacture of surgical blades, burs and dissection needles used in orthopaedic surgery. The third facility is in Limerick - Stryker Howmedica Osteonics Limerick - (established by Howmedica in 1972), employs 340 people and specialises in the design and manufacture of complex knee implant systems using investment casting technology and manufactures the world leading orthopaedic bone cement product, Simplex.