Bausch + Lomb announces €90m expansion of its Waterford contact lens plant

The Bausch + Lomb facility in Waterford. Stock Generic

Eye health company Bausch + Lomb announced plans today for a €90m investment to expand manufacturing operations at its Waterford facility.

The investment is expected to generate 130 additional jobs when production commences in 2023 and will provide the Waterford facility with additional capacity to meet the expected demand for its Biotrue range of contact lenses. 

In addition, approximately 150 additional workers are expected to be employed in the construction phase of the expansion. The Waterford site currently employs more than 1,500 people.

The investment follows a similar announcement in November 2018 in which the company announced it was investing to increase contact lens manufacturing capacity at its sites in Waterford and Rochester, N.Y. by adding multiple production lines at the two sites.

Mark Hennessy, Site Lead, Bausch + Lomb, Waterford said the Biotrue lens was developed by the team in Waterford and continues to grow in US, European and Asian markets.

“We recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of the establishment of Bausch + Lomb Waterford, and the decision to make this significant investment in Waterford was influenced by our track record in providing high-quality products and excellent customer service to markets around the globe.”

Recruitment for the new jobs will begin in 2022. However, the facility currently has vacant positions in operations, engineering, quality and other disciplines.

IDA Ireland CEO Martin Shanahan said: “IDA Ireland has partnered with Bausch + Lomb for many years. We are delighted with the company’s decision to further expand its manufacturing operations at the Waterford facility, creating 130 jobs.