The Clare-based firm will be on the lookout for engineering machinists, programmers and quality control specialists over the next two years.
Smithstown Light Engineering has officially opened its new 40,000 sq ft manufacturing facility in Shannon, Co Clare.
The precision engineering firm works with medical device and orthopaedic companies around the world, and its current expansion in Ireland will see it create up to 60 new jobs over the next two to three years.
Having reached capacity at its original plant, the company opened a second manufacturing site in 2017, which has now been extended with support from Enterprise Ireland. The facility is based in Smithstown Industrial Estate in Shannon.
Smithstown Light Engineering is a second-generation indigenous Irish firm that was first set up in 1974. It currently employs 128 people and over the past year it has invested more than €6m in its extension and new machine technologies.
New roles opening up at the company will include engineering machinists, programmers and quality control specialists. The new site will also house an innovation centre, enabling the company to collaborate with customers in R&D, to examine opportunities with new technologies in the additive manufacturing sector, and to potentially deliver advanced technology roles.
‘Future-proofing’
Minister of State for Trade, Employment, Business Pat Breen, TD, said: “This expansion and the announcement today of 60 new high-quality jobs is very welcome news for the Shannon area and is an endorsement of Ireland’s growing reputation as a global leader in life sciences and medical devices.”
Gerard King, CEO of Smithstown Light Engineering, added: “Since our inception 45 years ago, we have transitioned from a parts production company to a global leader in new technologies and advanced manufacturing methods for the medtech sector at home and abroad.
“This is about future-proofing. Our customers are experiencing incredible growth and are keen to reduce lead times in sourcing products around the world. This expansion ensures we can keep up with their growing demand for ultra-precision products used in life-saving treatments.”
Enterprise Ireland senior development advisor John Shiel said that Smithstown Light Engineering is “a vital component of the ever-growing life sciences industry in Ireland”, adding that today’s announcement is “particularly positive for the Shannon region”.
“Sustained investment is an important aspect of that work and it ultimately means investing in Ireland’s regions and domestic job creation,” Shiel concluded.
