Limerick received a double jobs boost yesterday when two US firms announced that 75 new jobs are to be created in the city.
Healthcare giant Vistakon confirmed its €100 million expansion plans for its manufacturing facility in the National Technology Park adjacent to the University of Limerick, which will create some 60 jobs.
Meanwhile, e-commerce company ChanelAdvisor Corporation is to create 15 new jobs with the establishment of a support centre in the city.
All the positions are to be filled by the end of this year.
The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin was in Limerick yesterday for the double jobs announcement, which he said had come about because of the region's highly-skilled workforce.
"Itis very good news for Limerick and indeed in the last two years wehave had very significant investments from financial services to medical device companies.
"It's extremely good news for the workers at Vistakon and I think there's very strong potential at the plant in the future," said Mr Martin.
A subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, Vistakon is the largest producer of disposable contact lenses in the world.
Yesterday's announcement will bring to 660 the number of people employed at the company's Limerick plant, which is one of seven Johnson & Johnson companies operating in Ireland, employing some 2,000 people nationwide.
