Major blow to Limerick as Nestlé confirms job losses at Wyeth plant

WEST Limerick has been dealt a significant blow with the announcement by Nestlé that it plans to cease operations at its Wyeth Nutrition infant formula manufacturing facility in Askeaton, which employs 491 people, by 2026.

Additionally, the co-located research and development center, which opened in 2019 after a €25m expansion, and employs 51 people, is also proposed to be closed cease operations by the first quarter of 2025.

The company, known for high-quality infant nutrition products, released a statement this Wednesday evening confirming it is proposing to transfer the production from Askeaton to two existing factories in Suzhou, Mainland China and Konolfingen, Switzerland.

"Regrettably, today’s announcement means approximately 542 colleagues will be placed at risk of redundancy," read the statement.

The facilities were part of Nestlé’s acquisition of Pfizer Nutrition in 2012. Operating as Wyeth Nutritionals Ireland Ltd (WNIL), the factory manufactures infant formula products exclusively for export to markets in Greater China and Asia.

Councillor Kieran O'Hanlon, who worked at Wyeth as an electrical engineer for more than 30 years, said staff were called into a meeting at 4pm and informed of the bad news.

They were given a schedule of how operations in west Limerick will run down concluding in 2026.

"It's a terrible day for West Limerick. I know so many young families work in that plant and I don't imagine they ever thought these jobs would end," he said.

"The difficult thing is there is very little other industry in West Limerick. Staff were just devastated, it's the worst kind of news to get," he added.

Reacting to the announcement, Councillor Adam Teskey said: "My initial reaction is one of complete shock and dismay - it's a huge unexpected financial and economic blow to the area.

"My thoughts, firstly, are with all the workers and staff that are based there but this will have a ripple effect into west Limerick and even the greater Mid-West region."

He continued: "The Minister for Job Creation plus the Minister for Employment and the Taoiseach will have to engage to see if there is any way that we can retrieve these jobs or bring it back from the brink at this stage - this is obviously a cost base problem when they are moving production to different sites so obviously our costs here have become a major burden to the company."

A spokesperson for Nestlé added that the company regrets the uncertainty that the announcement will cause their colleagues and their families, but added: "We will make sure they are supported fully throughout this process."

More to follow.....