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Meissner Corporation celebrated the official opening of its new 3,900 m² (42,000 ft²) manufacturing facility in Co. Mayo. Although the facility has been producing therapeutic manufacturing systems for Meissner’s pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical client base since March of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the official Grand Opening Celebration until today.
Founded in 1984 and headquartered in Camarillo, California, U.S.A., the company operates globally and supports clients worldwide. Meissner’s product portfolio enables the development and manufacture of critical medicines in therapeutic areas such as oncology, cardiology and immunology. The company recently played a leading role in the industry’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, providing critical products that enabled the development, manufacture, and distribution of numerous lifesaving therapeutics and vaccines.
This project is supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland.
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney TD said: “I am delighted to congratulate Meissner Corporation on the opening of their manufacturing facility in Castlebar. Since production commenced, the Mayo facility has been providing global clients with essential pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical products, including playing such an important role in the fight against Covid. The West Region has become a hub for leading biopharma companies and Meissner opening their first facility outside the US, in Castlebar, truly is a vote of confidence to the West, and our talented workforce. Thanks to Meissner Corporation for choosing Castlebar, and I wish them continued success in Ireland.”
The Castlebar, Ireland facility, which was first announced in 2019, represents the global organisation’s first manufacturing facility in Europe.
“An incredible amount of teamwork ensured that our facility could not only open, but also successfully manufacture during a global pandemic. As a critical supplier to industry, our focus has always been to guarantee our clients receive the products that are critical to their manufacture of life-saving medicines, including those directly related to COVID-19,” - John O’Shea, Director of Operations at Castlebar, Ireland.
“Meissner currently has over 90 employees at our Castlebar facility and looks forward to continuing to add team members to support future growth. When the decision was originally made to locate in Castlebar, one of the critical factors considered was access to talent and the organisation has been exceedingly pleased with the results” Lisa McNama, Human Resource Manager, at Castlebar, Ireland.
Executive Director of IDA Ireland Mary Buckley said: The decision by Meissner in 2019 to establish its first manufacturing facility outside the US in Co. Mayo was significant. Especially as 2020 became a time of unprecedented global uncertainty. From Castlebar, Meissner manufactured and delivered mission critical products as the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical sectors responded to the demands of a global pandemic. I wish to thank Meissner for the confidence they have demonstrated since 2019, congratulate them on today’s grand opening and wish them continued success.”