Wellness company to create 100 jobs with Cork City plant

Wellness product manufacturer Doterra is to create 100 jobs in Cork City over the next three years with the opening of the company’s first manufacturing facility outside of the United States.

The Irish operation, which will serve as Doterra’s European manufacturing headquarters, will be located in the northern suburbs of the city.

It will manufacture and distribute Doterra products to the European marketplace, as well as provide increased capacity to serve other international markets, including the Middle East and Africa.

The privately held company was founded in 2008 and employs over 3,500 people in the US and multiple offices around the world.

The 95,000 sq ft facility in Blarney consists of cleanrooms, bottling rooms, office space, a lab, cold storage and warehousing and is expected to be completed by the end of July.

There are currently 10 employees based in Cork City, and the company will look to add a number of operations roles and warehouse staff in August as the facility ramps up to start production in September.

The company will grow its staff in quality control, supply chain management, finance, legal and HR as production increases.

Doterra’s arrival in Ireland is the result of a capital investment made by the company of more than €10 million. Construction of the facility began in October 2019, and to date the project has supported more than 60 construction jobs.

“Doterra Europe is thriving and enjoying record growth as more people continue to share and use Doterra’s essential oils,” said David Stirling, Doterra founder and chief executive.

“Doterra sources so many of its essential oils from Europe, and we are thrilled that this facility allows us to greatly reduce our carbon footprint by ensuring that these oils intended for European customers never leave Europe.”

Sean Poynter, senior vice president of operations for Doterra, said the skilled workforce in the local community was a key reason for choosing Cork City.

“Our new facility is a demonstration of Doterra’s long-term vision and commitment to supporting our growing customer base throughout Europe and the surrounding areas,” he said.

“Our presence in Ireland will increase how quickly we can respond to our customers’ needs while reducing the environmental impact of our global fulfilment and logistics.

“We are thrilled with the location in Ireland and our great partnerships with local officials, developers, and many others.

“These local resources and the availability of such a skilled workforce are some of the main reasons we are calling Ireland home for our first global manufacturing site outside the US.”

IDA Ireland chief executive Martin Shanahan said the investment is in line with the organisation’s strategy to win investment and jobs in regional locations.

“Ireland is the ideal gateway location to Europe, while Cork continues to be a world-class investment location for international companies,” he said.

“Doterra’s arrival in Cork shows the confidence business leaders have in a region that continues to assert its adaptability and agility despite some extraordinary challenges that have emerged as a result of the global pandemic.”