Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs and Natural Resources, Sean Kyne, visited Proxy Biomedical, an Irish manufacturer of medical implants, to meet the management team and formally announce the expansion of the facility, including a total investment of €3.5 million.
The company’s development plan is supported by Údarás na Gaeltachta and will lead to the creation of 35 new jobs in Coilleach, Spiddal, Co. Galway.
Following significant investment in research and development and in state-of-the-art processing technologies, Proxy Biomedical expanded its portfolio for the vascular, general surgery and orthopaedic markets. The expansion will double the firm's ISO Class 8 cleanroom manufacturing facilities, while including dedicated R&D laboratories. It will also accommodate additional capital equipment to support textiles, biomaterials implant covers, coatings and resorbable materials processing.
Welcoming the expansion, Sean Kyne TD, Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs, said: 'This is great news for the area. This expansion phase will provide much needed highly-skilled jobs in the Galway Gaeltacht, as the company increases its workforce to 75 employees over the next two years.'
Proxy Biomedical's Chief Executive Peter Mulrooney Peter Mulrooney, Proxy Biomedical CEO, said: 'The new facilities will support the company’s ongoing growth and strategic development initiatives, as Proxy Biomedical continues to broaden its technology portfolio to address unmet needs and deliver innovative solutions for our key markets.'
Steve Ó Cúláin, CEO of Údarás na Gaeltachta, added: 'We have been working closely with this company since it relocated its operations to an Údarás-owned facility in An Spidéal in 2008. Since then, the company has doubled its employment, invested heavily in research, and developed a highly innovative solutions portfolio. This is a sophisticated and technologically advanced company, servicing a global medical device market. We are delighted to be in a position to support Proxy Biomedical’s next expansion phase and very much welcome the new jobs that this development will bring to the area.'
Proxy Biomedical is currently recruiting positions in manufacturing engineering, biomaterial engineers, quality and regulatory, as well as production operatives.