New medical firm plans to create 250 Athlone jobs

There was good news on the jobs front for Athlone yesterday (Tuesday) with the announcement by medical firm Abiomed that it plans to create 250 jobs in the town over the next five years. The company manufactures heart pumps for use in interventional cardiology and heart surgery and Chairman, CEO and President of Abiomend, Michael Minogue joked with those attending the official announcement yesterday that the company mended broken hearts. Already the company is understood to have employed some key figures from medical device firm Conor Medsystems, in whose former premises it intends to operate. Conormed closed last year with some 165 job losses. Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Mary Coughlan was on hand at the Radisson SAS Hotel yesterday morning to make the announcement, which comes despite bleak forecasts for the economy. The Tánaiste said this was not just good news for Athlone, but for Ireland and praised the IDA and all involved for their momentum and support for the project. She said the Midlands region and in particular Athlone Institute of Technology would meet the company"s needs. The Tánaiste added: 'The Midlands record of success with companies in the medical technologies industry, the availability of a highly skilled workforce and the proximity to the Athlone Institute of Technology with its highly educated graduates in engineering and science disciplines are not just major attractions to Abiomed but to many other innovative-driven multinational companies of the same calibre.' Mr Minogue said it was a great day for the company and it had looked for a year to find the right place to make this technology.