Wyeth facility in Limerick goes on the market for €22m

THE MASSIVE Wyeth infant formula production factory near Askeaton has gone on the market with an asking price of €22m.

Limerick was left reeling in October 2023 when Nestle announced plans to wind down production at the plant which covers almost 40 acres.

In total, 542 people were put at risk at losing their jobs.

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At least 50 of these are thought to have already been made redundant, with the closure of a €25m research facility, which opened as recently as 2019.

The remainder of the workforce are expected to clock off at the plant next year as the company completes its production transfer to two existing factories, one in mainland China and the other in Switzerland.

It will be March 2026 the facility will be available.

Bidding has opened for interested parties to take ownership of the land has started, with an advert being placed on property website www.daft.ie.

It states the entire site occupies a land area of approximately 39.5 acres with expansion lands measuring 35.8 Acres.

The plant has local road frontage along the western boundary and the River Deel runs along its eastern boundary.

It comprises 771,689 square foot of buildings, including the research facility which closed earlier this year.

On top of this, there are the main manufacturing and distribution buildings and ancilliary buildings.

The research building, completed in 2019, measures around 64,990 square feet and comprises two storey open plan administration offices, meeting rooms, staff canteen, reception and changing areas. Behind the offices there are laboratories, workshops and a bench top pilot plant, all arranged over two floors.

There is also a wet and dry processing area and a warehouse with a single dock leveller. The warehouse has an eight metre clear internal eaves height.

A second section of the research facility comprises around 21,387 square feet of warehouse and processing space with staff changing facilities and offices.

The main manufacturing and distribution buildings comprise of a processing area to include the main boiler house, evaporating and drying towers, blending rooms, packaging rooms and a can manufacturing plant. This section of the building is arranged over a single ground floor with the drying towers increasing to seven storeys. The main production floor comprises a concrete floor with full height block walls, combination of a concrete and steel portal frame, clad in a mix of single and double skin metal cladding.

At the northern end of the plant are high and low level warehouse buildings, measuring 167,265 sq.ft. The high level warehouse comprises a covered trailer building, loading pit bay with eight dock levellers, There is a level change from the loading area to the warehouse with eight roller doors, leading to the main warehouse hall which has a Mezzanine level running the full length of the western elevation with a palletising area, control rooms and a satellite warehouse underneath. The warehouse is constructed with a steel portal frame and is clad with double skin metaldeck sheeting, the clear internal height is 12m.

The plant has A combined heat and power plant.

It's located near Askeaton in Limerick, with the property agents pointing out the benefit of the town's location on the N69 along the Shannon Estuary.

Plans have been approved to link Askeaton and Foynes Port to the Adare bypass which is currently under construction. This upgrade, it's expected, will significantly reduce drive times to Limerick, Shannon Airport and the wider motorway network.