STIEFEL TO CLOSE
DEMAND for the products produced at the Stiefel plant in Sligo hadn’t grown in line with expectations and which has led to its closure a company spokesperson said.
Workers at the Finisklin road plant were informed of a phased closure of the factory on Thursday morning last.
Stiefel manufactures healthcare products for GSK.
“Today, we informed employees at our skincare manufacturing site in Sligo of a proposal to close the site.
“Under this proposal, which affects approximately 165 employees, we would phase down production over three years, before decommissioning the site in the latter part of 2021.
“In recent years, our Sligo site has delivered significant improvements in cost and efficiency.
“However, demand for the products made on site has not grown in line with previous expectations, due to the highly competitive market in which we operate, making our current business model unsustainable.
“We have not made this proposal lightly.
“We thoroughly evaluated a number of alternatives for the Sligo site, none of them were considered feasible without significant further investment.
“The site is staffed by highly skilled professionals, dedicated to delivering quality skincare products.
“We understand the impact of this proposal on our employees, their families, and the local region.
“Our immediate priority is to support them through this difficult period,” a company statement said.
GSK’s other manufacturing sites in Cork and Dungarvan, and commercial operations in Dublin are not affected by the Sligo closure.
Stiefel opened in Sligo in 1975 with ten workers and manufactures approximately 40 different formulations of skin healthcare products.
These include Physiogel, Oilatum and Driclor for over 65 markets.