Good News Welcomed On Jobs Front

A jobs’ boost announced today has been welcomed – especially as hundreds of jobs are going elsewhere.

Northern Ireland pharmaceutical company, Norbrook, - which makes veterinary pharmaceutical products at its Newry plant and exports them around the world - announced an investment of £millions that could create almost 300 new jobs.

While nearly 1,000 workers at Limavady technology company Seagate were being told their redundancy terms following the announcement that their plant is closing next summer and the work transferred to Malaysia, this major investment – with up to 293 new jobs – is a major fillip.

Norbrook’s £83 million investment will allow it to develop a number of new and unique veterinary products with which to move further into the pet medicine market.

Norbrook currently employs 1,500 people at Newry and across the border in Monaghan, has manufacturing facilities on four continents and exports to more than 120 countries around the world.

Announcing the investment during a visit to the company, Economy Minister Nigel Dodds said: "It is a great achievement that this major investment, which could have gone outside Northern Ireland, has been secured by Invest NI.

"It is particularly welcome in the context of the job losses that will happen in the second half of next year in Limavady,” he said.

(BMcC)