DEERFIELD, Ill., USA, and CASTLEBAR, IRELAND, November 30, 2007 – Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) and the Irish Government announced today a joint investment programme for the manufacturing subsidiary of Baxter based on the West Coast of Ireland.
The investment programme may total more than €75 million over a six-year time frame. Some of the targeted areas for the investment include:
Enhanced therapies for the treatment of patients with renal failure
State-of-the-art technology and manufacturing processes
Advanced drug delivery and packaging systems
Expanded manufacturing training for employees.
Left to right: Chris Williams, Vice President Manufacturing Operations Baxter Europe, Barry O’Leary Chief Executive Officer, IDA Ireland, Minister Micheál Martin, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Bob Parkinson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Baxter International, and Pat Gallagher, General Manager Baxter Ireland Manufacturing, at the Baxter & Government/IDA Joint Investment Announcement in Baxter Healthcare Castlebar on Friday 30th November 2007.
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Speaking at the announcement, the Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment, Mr. Micheál Martin, congratulated Baxter and its employees in Ireland for being a great success story.
“Baxter has been an integral part of the economic and social development of the West of Ireland for the past thirty-five years. The investment programme, supported by Government and the Industrial Development Authority, is very much in line with Government strategy. Ireland's economic future is based on greater investment in R&D and in bringing higher-value products and services to international markets. In this way we will retain higher skilled jobs and employment in the regions as is happening here today in County Mayo,” Martin said.
Bob Parkinson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Baxter International, Minister Micheál Martin, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and Pat Gallagher, General Manager Baxter Ireland Manufacturing, at the Baxter & Government/IDA Joint Investment Announcement in Baxter Healthcare Castlebar on Friday 30th November 2007.
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Baxter’s Chairman, CEO and President Robert L. Parkinson, Jr., emphasised that working in healthcare places an enormous responsibility on all to provide patients around the world with the most advanced products and therapies to save and sustain lives.
"Every day, thousands of patients rely on Baxter products and Baxter employees to sustain their lives. We are constantly striving to advance the treatment of life-threatening diseases like kidney failure, immune disorders, cancer, and others to improve their lives. This strong sense of a higher purpose permeates our organisation and drives continuous innovation and improvement. The team in Ireland can be very proud of their achievements and I have every confidence that success will continue for years to come.”
Pat Gallagher, the General Manager of Baxter Manufacturing in Ireland, said, "This joint investment is very significant for the future of Baxter in Mayo and for the economic and social fabric of the whole region. It also represents a vote of confidence in the capabilities of the workforce. All of us as employees take great pride in knowing that what we do every day impacts positively on the life of another human being someplace around the world.”
Barry O’Leary Chief Executive Officer, IDA Ireland, Minister Micheál Martin, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and Bob Parkinson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Baxter International at the Baxter & Government/IDA Joint Investment Announcement in Baxter Healthcare Castlebar on Friday 30th November 2007.
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About IDA Ireland
IDA Ireland is the Irish Government’s economic development agency responsible for the attraction and development of foreign investment in Ireland. Almost 1,000 international companies have chosen to invest in Ireland as their European base and are involved in a wide range of activities in sectors as diverse as engineering, information communications technologies, pharmaceuticals, medical technologies, financial and international services.
Ireland continues to win international investments from global corporations because it is seen as a business location where the workforce, as well as being highly qualified, has a unique capacity to improve, to innovate and to initiate new ideas, new processes and new ways of working that can make business more dynamic, more efficient and ultimately more profitable.
Ireland, which is home to 15 of the World's top 25 Medical Technologies companies, is a highly attractive location for global medical technology manufacturing and R&D activities.
http://www.idaireland.com
About Baxter
Baxter Healthcare S.A. is a subsidiary of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX). Baxter International Inc., through its subsidiaries, assists healthcare professionals and their patients with the treatment of complex medical conditions, including cancer, haemophilia, immune disorders, kidney disease and trauma. The company applies its expertise in medical devices, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to make a meaningful difference in patients' lives.
Baxter has been operating in Ireland since the mid-1960s. Its product portfolio and presence have grown substantially over the last four decades, and now includes world-class manufacturing facilities in Castlebar and Swinford, business centres in Dublin and Belfast, a technologically-advanced compounding facility in Dublin, and renal care facilities established under public and private partnership agreements in Antrim and Dublin. Baxter is a major employer in Co. Mayo, with manufacturing facilities in Castlebar and Swinford. It also operates a European Shared Services Centre in Dublin. In total, Baxter employs more than 1,100 people in Ireland. Baxter Ireland has recently won the 2007 Overall Industry Award from the Irish Medical Devices Association (IMDA) for excellence in business and innovation, and the 2007 Supreme Award from the National Irish Safety Organisation (NISO) for outstanding contributions to safety, health and welfare in the workplace.
