A newly constructed 40,000 sq ft manufacturing facility was officially opened by Pat Breen TD, Minister for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection in Shannon, Co Clare today.
Smithstown Light Engineering, a precision engineering firm serving the top medical device and orthopaedic companies in the world, has trebled the size of its new (second) production facility and will create up to 60 new jobs over the next two years.
Based in Smithstown Industrial Estate in Shannon, Smithstown Light Engineering is a second generation indigenous Irish firm employing 128 people. Having reached capacity at its original plant, the rapidly growing firm opened a second manufacturing site (10,000 sq ft) in August 2017 and hired 30 new employees to meet increased production levels. However, the new site also reached capacity by the end of 2018. The Enterprise Ireland supported company has invested over €6 Million in the last 12 months in new machining technologies along with the 30,000 sq ft manufacturing floor extension.
The new facility will create 60 new jobs over a two to three year period, creating roles for engineering machinists, programmers and quality control specialists. It will also house an innovation centre so the precision engineering firm can collaborate with customers in R&D, examine opportunities with new technologies in the additive manufacturing sector and potentially deliver advanced technology roles.
Pat Breen TD, Minister for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection said: “I would like to congratulate Smithstown Light Engineering on their continued expansion and commend the ambition and determination of this indigenous company to compete at the highest level on a global stage. This expansion and the announcement today of 60 new high quality jobs is very welcome news for the Shannon area and is an endorsement of Ireland’s growing reputation as a global leader in Life Sciences and medical devices.”
Gerard King, CEO at Smithstown Light Engineering, said, “Our ongoing investment and expansion of our production capabilities reflects our commitment to be at the cutting edge of leading technologies. Since our inception 45 years ago, we have transitioned from a parts production company to a global leader in new technologies and advanced manufacturing methods for the Medtech sector at home and abroad. I would like to thank our staff and Enterprise Ireland for their invaluable support and commitment over the years.”
“This is about future-proofing. Our customers are experiencing incredible growth and are keen to reduce lead times in sourcing products around the world. This expansion ensures we can keep up with their growing demand for ultra-precision products used in lifesaving treatments,” he continued.
Enterprise Ireland Senior Development Advisor, John Shiel added, “Smithstown Light Engineering is a vital component of the ever-growing life sciences industry in Ireland, and today’s announcement is particularly positive for the Shannon region.”
“Each of Enterprise Ireland’s nine regional teams are strategically focused on driving regional development and supporting companies such as Smithstown to expand and build scale globally. Sustained investment is an important aspect of that work and it ultimately means investing in Ireland’s regions and domestic job creation. We look forward to continuing to work closely with the company’s management and staff here in Shannon and are excited to see what is next for the company,” he continued.
Established in 1974, Smithstown Light Engineering provides precision engineering solutions to the top medical device and orthopaedic companies globally.
