Waters' strategic expansion to create 125 high quality jobs in Wexford Town

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin TD today (Friday 20^th May 2005) announced that Waters Corporation, of the US, a market leader in its business, is investing €11.5 million, with the support of IDA Ireland, for a strategic expansion of its Wexford facility.

Waters Corporation is the world's largest supplier of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analytical instruments and is market leader for HPLC and mass spectrometry instruments. It is also a leading supplier of thermal analysis and rheology instrumentation and HPLC consumables. Its products are used by scientists in laboratory conditions to identify and analyse the components of a variety of chemicals and other materials.

The expansion will create 125 high quality jobs over five years in areas such as supply chain management, quality assurance, technical support and manufacturing. Over 60% of the positions will require a third level qualification.

Minister Martin said "this expansion is a strategic part of Waters' plans for future growth and will significantly enhance the Wexford facility's role in its Corporation's future. It will have an important impact on the local and national economy through the new employment and through Waters' intention to increase its supply chain from Irish vendors and indigenous companies. The Wexford management team and workforce are to be congratulated in winning this investment."

Waters Technologies Ireland Limited is located at Wexford Business Park in Wexford Town. The expansion will give the facility complete global responsibility for a number of Waters' key mass spectrometry instruments, ownership of strategic products and activities and extensively broaden its capabilities and responsibilities. It will also increase production capacity to cope with new product introductions and market growth, by more than doubling the size of the existing 30,000 sq. ft. facility through the addition of a 35,000 sq. ft. extension.

Mr. David Terricciano, Vice President, Global Operations & Support, of Waters Corporation said "we chose our Wexford facility for this investment due to its success to-date, its ability to implement new developments and our continuous ability to recruit the highly skilled people we require to continue its growth as an integral part of our worldwide operation. Our sub-supply base of Irish companies, both local and national, in providing the quality of components, products and delivery we require, was also a factor in our decision."