Laois County Council secures €1 million to develop industrial site at former Avon factory

Laois County Council has secured money to develop six acres of the Avon site in Portarlington. 

The former factory will now be used to provide four fully serviced industrial sites for the Canal Road Business Park in Portarlington. The six acre site was purchased by the council in 2023 for €500,000. 

The Council said that €999,963 under the Just Transition Fund has been secured towards the redevelopment of the site.  

Over a quarter of a century ago in March 1999,  more than 350 jobs were lost with the closure of the Avon plant which produced cosmetics and costume jewellery. At the time, then Tánaiste Mary Harney and then IDA Chief Executive Sean Dorgan set up a taskforce to give urgent attention to attracting new jobs to the Portarlington factory site. 

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Now Laois County Council has stepped in and purchased six acres of the site, a move that is hoped will bring additional employment to Portarlington. 

The Council say they are looking forward to welcoming businesses to the sites and seeing the positive impact this development will have on Portarlington and the wider county.  

They say the strategic location of the Avon site, with its proximity to key transport routes and Portarlington’s thriving industrial base, makes it an ideal location for businesses seeking to expand or establish new operations in Laois. Each of the four sites will be fully serviced and ready for development in March 2026, providing high-quality infrastructure for companies across a range of sectors.

Chief Executive of Laois County Council, Michael Rainey, said the Council are excited to unlock the potential of this site for industrial development:  

"This development represents a great opportunity for businesses to establish themselves in one of the most well-connected regions in the country. The investment in the site aligns with the Council’s commitment to support economic growth and job creation in Laois". 

The four industrial sites will offer flexibility for a wide range of business types, from manufacturing and warehousing to technology and logistics. The availability of ready-to-use serviced sites will help attract new enterprises to County Laois and encourage further investment in the region. The development will also play a crucial role in strengthening the local economy, supporting job creation, and enhancing the regional attractiveness to investors. 

Mr Rainey announced the acquisition at the monthly meeting of Laois County Council. “I’d like to congratulate Simon Walton as deputy CEO who did huge work on this project in acquiring a site. The good news as well is we have €1 million in Just Transition funding for development of that site.

“This is another piece of the jigsaw to try to develop the economic potential of this county,” he said.

Businesses interested in the opportunity to locate at the Avon site are encouraged to contact Laois County Council for more information.    

For enquiries, please contact Evelyn Reddin, Head of Enterprise on:  057 86 61800  or email  ereddin@laoiscoco.ie