A US animal nutrition giant is setting up its first European base in Sligo
Phibro Animal Health plans to recruit 150 staff for the facility, which will develop poultry vaccines.
A US BIOTECH firm is setting up shop in Sligo – with plans to add 150 staff to its new operations there over the next five years.
Nasdaq-listed Phibro Animal Health Corporation, which is headquartered in New Jersey, develops animal health and nutrition products for the agriculture and aquaculture industries.
The Sligo-based facility will be the company’s first biological manufacturing location in Europe and will initially focus on developing poultry vaccines, with products for livestock also planned.
The firm’s recruitment for the Irish plant will include roles in quality control and analysis, engineering and regulatory compliance.
The company, which employs 1,400 staff in total, booked annual sales of $746 million in its most recent fiscal year. The latest earnings report for the first quarter of the year showed its net income was $20 million.
The company said in a statement that it expects the Sligo location to begin having an impact on its financial results within three to five years.
North-west life sciences
Chief executive Jack Bendheim said the establishment of an Irish base was an “important milestone” in the company’s global development.
The “driven and experienced workforce available in the Sligo area” informed the company’s decision to pick the north-west county,” he said.
The opening of the facility will strengthen the life sciences sector in the north-west, agriculture minister Michael Creed added.
Sligo is already home to operations for several life-sciences companies, including a medical device services centre for pharma giant Pfizer, a manufacturing facility for biopharma firm AbbVie and the headquarters for upcoming indigenous outfit Epona Biotech.
However the region suffered a blow in 2016 when Eli Lilly closed its Elanco Animal Health manufacturing facility with the loss of 100 jobs.
