'A great place to do business': €127m expansion of Cork PepsiCo plant welcomed

PEPSICO'S €127m expansion of its Little Island plant has been welcomed by Cork’s political and business community as a huge boost for the city’s future.

Speaking to The Echo to mark Pepsi’s investment project, Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment said, ”this is great news and a huge vote of confidence in Cork.

“PepsiCo has had a presence in Ireland since 1974 and has grown it’s operations very significantly during that time. This latest significant investment reinforces the company’s recognition of Cork and Ireland as a great place to do business.” 

The 3,252sqm expansion will see enhanced manufacturing and R&D capabilities created at the Little Island campus, while up to 700 jobs were created during construction for contractors. The workforce now exceeds 640 staff, while 300 more are employed by Pepsi in Carrigaline.

Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North Central, Deputy Pádraig O’Sullivan TD, said, “I warmly welcome this announcement that PepsiCo has confirmed €127 million investment at the Cork facility in Little Island.

“Pepsi has a long tradition in Cork, first established in Little Island in 1974. As a native of Little Island, I have seen the positive impact it has had on the local community, in terms of investment and job creation. Pepsi’s continued presence in Cork is a welcome boost for the region.

“I wish them every success as the new expansion nears completion, and I look forward to visiting the new facility.” 

Cork Chamber of Commerce welcomed the €127m expansion which enhances its manufacturing capacity at the Little Island facility.

'COMMITMENT TO CORK'

“The €127m investment made by Pepsico into its Little Island facility is very significant. Pepsico have shown continued commitment to Cork as a place for business, recently installing, 4,500 solar panels to power its Carrigaline facility. 

Pepsi is a long-time employer in Cork, almost 50 years at this Little Island location,” commented Conor Healy, CEO Cork Chamber.

“Cork is an attractive location for FDI investment, and we must continue to match the ambition and growth of these global investors by ensuring that our offering to remains competitive internationally. Access to housing, a skilled talent pool and the provision of the necessary infrastructure are all key factors.

“With this and other recent FDI investments in east Cork, it is a reminder of the importance of improvements to infrastructure in the area. It is clear the decision not to fund the N25 Carrigtwohill-Midleton multi modal route must be revisited as an enabler to investment and economic growth.

Mr Healy continued, “positively, the completion of the ongoing upgrades to Dunkettle Interchange which are allowing for improved access to Little Island is much anticipated, and the provision of the new greenway has, for the first time, allowed cyclists to safely access Little Island on dedicated cycle paths.

“The increased frequency of train services has seen growth in passenger numbers, and this all gives people real transport choices. It is essential that government commits the funding required to deliver on the plans to electrify the train service as a matter of priority.” 

“Cork remains an attractive location for business and investment, and we must be unrelenting in our ambition to remain competitive,” he added.

President of the Cork Business Association, Kevin Herlihy, said it’s “fantastic for Cork city.” 

“It just shows that we have a highly skilled workforce and multi-nationals like Pepsico are investing in Ireland because they know we’ve got really good people.” 

However, Mr Herlihy said he had concerns that with the expansion of the workforce, housing could be an issue. 

“Where are these people going to live? That’s a big concern in Cork’s business community, where these people are going to be housed. But overall, it’s a fabulous story and it just shows that we have a highly skilled workforce. Hopefully, more to come of these kinds of investments.”

Speaking at an event to mark the investment project, Mr Coveney said: “PepsiCo has had a presence in Ireland since 1974 and has grown its operations very significantly during that time. This latest significant investment reinforces the company’s recognition of Ireland as a great place to do business.” 

Brian Colgan, site lead at PepsiCo Little Island said:

“We have called Cork home for almost 50 years, and our longevity is a testament to the dedication of our talented workforce. This very significant expansion will allow us to increase our manufacturing capacity and ensure that we can continue to meet the global demand for our existing and future products.

Mary Buckley, Executive Director, IDA Ireland said: “Continued investment in research and development is central to IDA Ireland’s strategy ‘Driving Recovery and Sustainable Growth’. This investment by PepsiCo is very welcome and demonstrates the company’s ongoing commitment to Ireland as it continues to grow its Irish operations nearly 50 years since it first established a footprint in Cork.”