There has been much and just concern expressed in Waterford following the announcement that 36 jobs are to be lost from due to the pending closure of the Diageo plant in Mary Street on the Lower Quay. What made the news most surprising was the fact that this plant underwent a major refit in 2004, believed to have cost in the region of €40 million.
We can recall on a visit to the facility following its refit, and how the works there had brought the Brewery up to the industry’s best standards. Its highly-skilled Waterford staff, many of them science graduates, were recruited to work at this most modern plant and all the ingredients literally appeared to be in place for a bright commercial future.
At the time of the investment, it was seen as a back-up plant to Dublin in the event of a fire or major production interruption at its HQ at Saint James’s Gate.