35 new jobs announced at CareFusion

THE announcement of 35 new jobs in South Galway last week sends a message to other companies and to the IDA, according to one public representative.
On Thursday, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton announced that CareFusion, a medical device company, is to create 35 new jobs at its manufacturing centre in Gort, with the support of Government through IDA Ireland. 
“This announcement represents a consolidation of CareFusion here in Gort. In other small towns, the jobs come here for a while then they pull out but this jobs announcement seems to indicate that they are here to stay. The other big factor is that Gort is often seen only as a hub town, where people buy a house but go to work in Shannon or Galway but with this type of factory coming to the town, it shows Gort has the infrastructure to hold a factory like this. It also sends a message to other companies and the IDA that they can look at Gort favourably in the future,” Councillor Gerry Finnerty said.
Headquartered in San Diego, CareFusion employs over 15,000 people in more than 20 countries worldwide. The company was originally established in Ireland in 2006 with just 12 employees. As a result of the success of the operation, it now employs over 90 highly skilled people and is recruiting for another 35 positions over the next 12 months. 
“This move is indicative of the confidence that manufacturers still have in Ireland as a profitable place to do business, despite our economic difficulties. We need to be continually selling the message that Ireland is a viable and safe base for business, so that investments of this nature become more commonplace,” said East Galway Senator Lorraine Higgins.
“These are precisely the kind of jobs at the cutting edge of the technology and bio-medical sectors, that this Government will be prioritising as part of the strategy of getting Ireland out of the economic mess in which we find ourselves,” the Labour senator added.
The Gort site is a manufacturing centre of excellence for diagnostic and monitoring medical equipment used in the diagnosis of human neurological, vascular and respiratory disorders, which are distributed to over 70 countries worldwide.
“Today’s announcement is further confirmation that Ireland remains a key location for investments by international companies in the medical devices sector. I am committed to ensuring that we continue to win even more high-value investments that will provide new high-quality jobs across the country in the coming years,” said Minister Bruton.
Commenting on the announcement, Sean Langan, managing director, CareFusion Ireland said, “The excellent performance, and ongoing success of the site, the high calibre of our staff in Gort, our commitment to continuous improvement and the support of IDA Ireland has resulted in 35 additional jobs being created at the facility over the next 12 months. The positions will be across all areas of the business from production, quality and manufacturing engineering and supply chain. The Irish facility is an important operations facility within CareFusion and we are all fully committed to its continued growth and future success.” 
Deputy Mayor of County Galway, Bridie Willers said she believes the new jobs are a welcome bonus to the town.
“Any job is a bonus in the current climate but 35 is really great. It is fantastic that a business is doing so well that it is planning to expand and we have to compliment CareFusion and say well done. These jobs will of course have a spin-off in the hinterland. Anything that brings business into the town is good. Gort needs any business it can get but it is hanging in there and doing well,” she said.
Products manufactured in Gort provide clinical diagnosis and treatment for patients with neurological disorders, such as epilepsy, brain damage, stroke, nerve damage, cancer, MS among others. The respiratory products manufactured in Gort provide diagnosis and management for patients with respiratory disorders such as COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), Asthma, Bronchitis, Emphysema, Cystic Fibrosis, Lung Cancer and other respiratory system diseases.