Global food and beverage brand PepsiCo is nearing completion on a €127m investment at its Cork facility which will see enhanced manufacturing capacity and funding for research and development at its Little Island campus.
First established in Ireland almost fifty years ago, the multinational currently employs more than 1,250 people in Ireland, increasing its workforce by more than 20% in the last two years.
Of that, more than 640 of Ireland’s workforce are based in the firm’s Little Island campus, with a further 300 based in Carrigaline.
As the investment nears completion, PepsiCo sees further headcount expansion on the horizon, with more than 40 roles currently open at its Cork base. In addition to permanent staff, PepsiCo said the €127m investment has provided employment to more than 700 contractors and vendors during the site’s development.
Speaking on the company’s expansion, Minister for Enterprise, Simon Coveney, said the firm’s latest investment “reinforces the company’s recognition of Ireland as a great place to do business.”
PepsiCo’s Little Island operation supports the group’s global brands including Pepsi Max, Gatorade, 7Up, Mountain Dew and Doritos. Its R&D campus works across several areas including product research, testing and commercialisation, quality assurance, regulatory management and, most recently, facilitated the establishment of a global R&D Digital Engineering team.
Just last week, the company completed work on what is the country’s largest rooftop solar panel installation at its facility in Carrigaline in Cork.
Over the course of a year, the solar panels will provide 25% of the electricity required by the site. During the summer months, they will have the capacity to provide 100% of the site’s electricity needs.
“We have called Cork home for almost 50 years, and our longevity is a testament to the dedication of our talented workforce” said Brian Colgan, Site Lead, PepsiCo Little Island.
“Investment in our business has driven the growth of our R&D team, from just 10 people in 2007 to more than 130 today,” said Breda Kennedy, R&D Senior Director, PepsiCo.
Supported by IDA Ireland, the investment has been welcomed by the chief executive, Mary Buckley, who said the company’s expansion “demonstrates PepsiCo’s commitment to Ireland as it continues to grow its operations nearly 50 years since it first established a footprint in Cork.”
