Canadian company gets green light for Portlaoise plant

Laois County Council has granted planning permission to a Canadian multinational to set up a plant in Portlaoise in what will be the first multi-national investment in Laois in some years.

Greenfield Global has been given the go-ahead light to construct a blending and packaging facility, an electrical sub-station building and other facilities to facilitate a new building in the Industrial Development Authority's Business Park on the town's Mountrath Road.

Several conditions have been attached to the permission granted this week on a project that has been kept under wraps up to now. Most of the conditions relate to the construction phase of the development.

One condition requires the company to pay nearly €130,000 to Laois County Council. This charge covers the cost of roads and other public infrastructure provided by the local authority. 

The IDA gave its backing to the company to develop a site which the company's planning application says could employ up to 25 staff when operational.
  
The almost 4,000 square metre facility will be located on a 15,000 square metre site. The application says half of the facility will be used for manufacturing. The company wants to begin construction in 2019.

Headquartered in Toronto, Greenfield Global operates in 15 locations around the world. The company claims to manufacture and ship more than 1,600 products in 50 countries worldwide.

Greenfield Global says it produces the highest purity pharmaceutical and analytical grade ethanol.

Greenfield is reported to be the largest high-purity alcohol company in North America. Under the Pharmco brand, the company offers a wide range of speciality alcohols and bio-based chemicals to quality-driven and environmentally-conscious customers around the globe.

The company has manufacturing and processing facilities in Canada, the United States and Malaysia.