Jacobs wins Genzyme building contract

JACOBS ENGINEERING — the California-based construction services giant that has offices in Dublin and Cork — has won the contract to look after the building of pharmaceutical firm Genzyme’s €130 million expansion of its existing Waterford facility.

According to a statement from Jacobs, the value of the deal is not being disclosed but the work will be carried out by the team at its Dublin office. The work is likely to be completed some time next year.

The decision by Genzyme to award the contract to Jacobs is no huge surprise, given that the same firm designed and installed Genzyme’s original production facility in Waterford seven years ago.

Genzyme — which has its headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts — makes treatments for a variety of conditions including numerous forms of cancer and kidney disease.

The company originally announced this expansion plan back in April of this year and the move will bring in 170 highly skilled new jobs over the next three years; pushing the company’s Irish workforce to over 600.

The new facility will expand the existing sterile fill/finish manufacturing operation and significantly grow the laboratory space in the process.

In a statement released yesterday, Jacobs Group vice president Allyn Taylor said: “We are proud to continue to support Genzyme’s global leadership and its role as a major employer in Waterford.”