By Business & Finance 
Dan Van Plew, senior vice president and general manager of Industrial Operations and Product Supply (IOPS) at Regeneron with Minister for Finance Michael Noonan TD.
Regeneron, one of the largest and fastest-growing biopharmaceutical companies in the United States, today announced it has hired its 150th employee for its Limerick facility, as it completes its first of a multi-year construction and development programme for the site.
The $300m-plus investment in a biopharmaceutical production facility within an 11.88 hectare site at Raheen Business Park – Regeneron’s first facility outside the United States – is on track to commence operations in 2016.
In addition to the 150 full-time staff in place already, the site is expected to see employment rise to over 300 people including scientists, engineers, technicians and administrative personnel. Already, 1,200 construction personnel have worked on-site over the course of the past year.
Speaking at an event on-site in Limerick to mark the first year of development at the facility, Dan Van Plew, senior vice president and general manager of Industrial Operations and Product Supply (IOPS) at Regeneron, said: “Our approved drugs and robust development pipeline have transformed Regeneron into one of the largest and fastest-growing biopharmaceutical companies in the United States. As our second industrial production site, and the first outside the United States, the Raheen Business Park site will play a prominent role in the future of the company.”
He continued: “We have been impressed by the positive, can-do attitude of the local community and the support we have received at every stage of this process. Thank you for the warmth of your welcome and for making us feel at home here in Limerick.”
Also speaking at the event, Minister for Finance Michael Noonan commented: “Regeneron’s investment is a massive boost for Limerick and for the biopharmaceutical sector in Ireland. We are delighted to welcome a leading biopharma company, operating at the cutting-edge of science and innovation, to Raheen. With 150 full-time employees in place, over a third of which are from Limerick or studied in this city, Regeneron has already become a major part of the local economy. We look forward to seeing Regeneron continue to grow and thrive in the years ahead.”
