Abbott is marking its 80th anniversary in Ireland, and over 50 years in Sligo where the company has two plants.

Since 1946, Abbott has grown from its earliest days in Ireland into one of the country’s top ten employers, with more than 6,200 people working across 10 sites in all four provinces.

The company’s Irish operations span nutrition, diabetes care, cardiovascular health, and diagnostics, producing life changing technologies that are exported across the world. Abbott’s work will touch the lives of 2 billion people this year and strives to reach 3 billion a year by 2030.

Abbott established its first manufacturing facility in Ireland in Sligo in 1974 with the opening of its Nutrition site before expanding its local presence in 1994 with the establishment of its diagnostics manufacturing facility.

In 2007, Abbott further strengthened its footprint in the region with a nutrition global management operation. Together, these teams play a critical role in Abbott’s global healthcare and nutrition network.

Abbott – Diagnostics

The diagnostics site at Finisklin is the second largest Abbott diagnostics manufacturing site globally. It manufactures diagnostic reagents and accessories used in laboratory tests that help healthcare professionals detect and monitor a wide range of health conditions, including infectious diseases such as Hepatitis B, Rubella and Cytomegalovirus, cancers including prostate and liver cancer, traumatic brain injuries, and therapeutic drug levels.

The site also manufactures reagents and accessories for Abbott’s Alinity family of diagnostic instruments, which are used in hospitals and clinical laboratories around the world to deliver fast, accurate and reliable patient test results.

Speaking about the milestone, Niall Plunkett, Site Director for Abbott’s diagnostics business said: “As Abbott celebrates 80 years in Ireland, I am proud of the role our 6,200 employees across 10 sites have played in advancing healthcare for people around the world.

“Here in Sligo, our teams in Diagnostics are helping improve lives every day through innovative technologies and high-quality diagnostics tests that support people at every stage of life. As we celebrate this milestone, we are proud of what we have achieved together and excited about the opportunities ahead.”

Abbott – Nutrition

Abbott’s nutrition manufacturing facility produces enteral feeding devices, which safely deliver life sustaining nutrition to people who cannot eat normally. The facility has earned international recognition for enterprise excellence, quality, employee development, environmental sustainability, and safety, including the prestigious Shingo Prize for Enterprise Excellence.

“The 80-year milestone is also a chance to look ahead. Our Nutrition team is dedicated to developing and manufacturing essential nutritional products that help people live healthier lives at every stage, from infancy through to older age. We are incredibly proud of the contribution our employees make every day and are excited about the opportunities ahead as we continue to innovate and support the health and wellbeing of communities around the world,” commented Trevor Harrison, Site Director for Abbott’s nutrition business.

Abbott’s presence in Sligo extends beyond healthcare innovation. Across Ireland, Abbott’s employee driven community programme, Croí an Óir (Heart of Gold), has raised more than €3 million and supported hundreds of charities nationwide since 2007.

Abbott employees in Sligo have a long history of supporting their local communities through fundraising and volunteer initiatives.

Through its Charity of Choice programme, Abbott has helped leave a lasting legacy across the North West, supporting organisations such as North West Hospice, St. Vincent de Paul,, the Irish Cancer Society, SHOUT (Sligo Hospital Oncology Unit Trust), the MS North West Therapy Centre, Sligo Cancer Support Centre, and St. Cecilia’s School Together, employees at Abbott’s Sligo sites have raised more than €420,000 since 2007, making a meaningful difference to individuals and families across the North West.

As Abbott marks 80 years in Ireland, Sligo continues to play a vital role across Abbott’s Diagnostics and Nutrition businesses.

The company first established a presence in the country in 1946 and has since grown to become one of Ireland’s top ten employers, with more than 6,200 people working across 10 sites in all four provinces. Abbott’s Irish operations span diagnostics, diabetes care, cardiovascular health, and nutrition.

Abbott’s Irish sites manufacture a wide range of healthcare technologies, including glucose monitoring systems such as FreeStyle Libre, diagnostic tests, cardiovascular devices, and nutritional products. Ireland is a core part of Abbott’s global manufacturing network, producing technologies used by patients and healthcare providers in countries around the world.

Abbott employs more than 6,200 people across ten sites located in Dublin, Donegal, Clonmel, Cootehill, Galway, Kilkenny, Longford, and Sligo.