Building a Lilly Limerick legacy – Eli Lilly & Co, forging strong links and a firm foundation for the future

Globally renowned life sciences company, Eli Lilly and Company made its first investment in Ireland, a small farm in Dunderrow, Kinsale, in 1978. 

Today, nearly half a century later, with three high-technology manufacturing platforms making medicines on the Kinsale campus, and a global centre of excellence in Lilly GBS, Cork, the company is set on further growing its Irish footprint.

In January 2023, Lilly Limerick officially broke ground and work commenced on bringing the new state-of-the-art biotech manufacturing campus on a greenfield site in Raheen, Co. Limerick, to life.

The [$1bn] announcement set the wheels in motion for one of the largest-ever single investments in Limerick city and county, providing a much-needed boost to the local economy, with over 2,000 people currently employed in the plant’s construction phase and recruitment in motion for the 300 permanent jobs the site will employ, once fully operational.

The campus, with an overall floor area of almost 47,400 sq m, will consist of a four-storey manufacturing building, a two-storey canteen, laboratory, and administration building as well as a two-storey warehouse and ancillary plant.

Senior officials at Lilly revealed that they had carefully selected Limerick as the third Irish site location for several key reasons; excellent infrastructure, including the nearby Shannon Airport, access to talent with two prominent third-level institutions close by, and a ready-made, fit-for-purpose serviced site in Raheen.

Proximity to existing Irish operations in Kinsale and Little Island in Co. Cork was also an important factor. The Kinsale and GBS sites seeded the new leadership team in Limerick, whose combined experience ensures that Lilly values, methods and practices are embedded from the beginning at Lilly Limerick.

The new plant is expected to be fully operational in the next three years, but General Manager Dave Riordan has explained that work is already well underway, and the company is already taking steps to firmly establish itself in the Limerick community.

“We have such a committed team of employees and contract partners working on our Lilly Limerick project and every week, I see huge progress on the project delivery at the site. 

"In fact, last October we reached a very important milestone when we had a celebration to mark the lighting up of the Lilly sign on the building. It was a tangible sign of our arrival in Limerick, and I always feel so proud when I take the Raheen exit from the M20 motorway and see the red Lilly sign on our production building. It reminds me that we are building something special in Limerick and I feel very privileged to be part of this new Lilly team." 

Dave has been an integral part Eli Lilly for over 20 years, beginning as a student on Co-Operative placement after completing his BA in Mechanical Engineering in UL, followed by a master’s in biotechnology from Sligo IT. His career at Lilly took him from Kinsale to the US, to Puerto Rico, spending time in various roles in manufacturing operations and management before coming “home” to accept the position in Limerick.

Mr Riordan also revealed that Lilly is working with several local traders and suppliers as part of the initial construction phase – and that this would continue as the project progressed.

He added that hiring and recruitment are currently at the top of the short-term list of priorities for the plant, with over ninety permanent staff now working at the facility. By the time the plant starts operations, over 300 staff are expected to be employed by Lilly across a variety of functions within the plant.

He added: “We need most of the permanent employees on board sooner than you would think, as they will work alongside the construction team over the next two years to test all the high-tech equipment that will be installed in the facility and bring it online. That means we have a constant flow of new jobs coming on stream and interviewing is progressing at pace.

“We’re looking for a wide range of skills and experiences with manufacturing operations personnel being at the core of our business. These are the people who will be on the production floor making medicine, but they’re supported by engineers and scientists and a host of other technical and professional disciplines.

Engagement with the local community in Limerick has been a significant priority for Lilly since they announced their intention to build the Raheen facility.

In late 2022, the company held a community event at the South Court Hotel which saw four hundred people attend to learn more about the company, the team, and their work, and in December, the company held a Christmas Community Event, celebrating the work so far with the team, and local community.

He explains: “We've been involved in as many local groups as makes sense. We’re members of the Limerick and Shannon Chambers. We’ve participated in some of the other regional business groups and are also active in the community in terms of volunteering and charitable outreach.

“We're looking across the community for people who are interested in a long-term career with us — from the locality if possible. There are so many opportunities at Lilly whether you want to stay local in Limerick or Cork or travel the world like I’ve done.” 

Lilly management have also met with both University of Limerick and The Technological University of the Shannon. The company has a long-standing relationship with the University of Limerick who have provided them with both Co-Operative students and graduates for decades. Both institutions are currently working closely with Lilly to provide more graduates to Lilly in the future.

Long term, Mr Riordan said the opening of the Raheen facility would mark the beginning of a lengthy commitment to Limerick.

“We intend to couple our long-term investment in Limerick with positive partnerships across the local community where we're already thinking 30-40 years ahead — at least,” he concluded.

Lilly.com/ie/careers