Genzyme Ireland named LifeSciences Company of the Year at Export Industry Awards

Genzyme Ireland, the biotechnology company that employs over 450 people in Waterford, has been named Life Sciences Company of the Year at the Irish Exporters Association's Export Industry Awards 2009. It is the second time in three years that Genzyme has won the national award.

Genzyme Ireland is a key element of the global supply chain for Genzyme Corp which provides products and services to patients in almost 100 countries. Over €400m has been invested in capital projects to support the company's Irish operations since they established a presence in Waterford in 2001. A €130m expansion is currently nearing completion.

The company saw employment growth from less than 250 to more than 450 in the 30 months to mid-2009. The operation also continues to move up the value chain with the Renvela sachet launched this year brought from technical development through to supply at the Waterford site.

Sponsored by global logistics company Kuehne + Nagel, the award was presented to Genzyme Ireland at a gala dinner in the RDS attended by An Taoiseach, Brian Cowen TD.

In congratulating the winners, the Taoiseach said: "The award winners have emerged on top after a very testing and challenging year. Their success underlines that, despite a difficult business environment, Irish companies can compete and indeed excel.

"Each of them, inevitably this year, faced new challenges they had not met before. But - by being innovative, imaginative, resourceful and resilient - they managed their resources, sought out new markets and adopted new strategies to remain at the top of their game. These are the hallmarks of Irish entrepreneurship and enterprise that will see us through this recession and bring us a future of sustained economic prosperity."

Accepting the Life Sciences Company of the Year award, Paul Condon, Materials Director, Genzyme Ireland, said: "We're delighted with this recognition for the work done through the year by a strong team in Waterford. The expansion on the site since we began operations eight years ago has been remarkable and time and again great people have risen to the various challenges and shown a real determination to meet the different milestones and targets and – when the job is done – a pride in what has been achieved for our patients."

Sir George Quigley, Chairman, Short Brothers plc, chaired the awards judging panel which also included Prof Frank Bradley, UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School; Terence O'Rourke, Managing Partner, KPMG; Dr Christina Gates, President, Institute of International Trade of Ireland; Dr Constantin Gurdgiev, Trinity College Dublin and Dr Tom McCarthy, Irish Management Institute.