by Kate Heaney
THE future of a number of workers at Zeus in Letterkenny still remains uncertain with around 200 staff to be temporarily laid off for the first week of August.
The move comes after staff were already laid off for the first week of this month.
However, the company this week told the Donegal News that their long-term prospects are strong and they are confident that demand for their products will rebound.
Zeus Industrial Products which is headquartered in Orangeburg, South Carolina, is the world’s leading polymer extrusion manufacturer and material science innovator.
It has more than 50 years of experience in manufacturing products for industries including medical, aerospace, energy, automotive and fibre optics.
Earlier this year the company was acquired by EGT Private Equity and a major extension which could house up to 95 more employees is under construction at the Lisnennan plant in the IDA Business Park.
The company here employ around 300 staff and it is the production staff who have been temporarily laid off due to a downturn in demand for their products globally.
This week, this paper put a query to the company through the Letterkenny offices seeking further information on what the future for the Letterkenny production staff holds. We did this on foot of concern for the future expressed by one of the workforce.
We received the following response from Jennifer McQuesten, VP of Corporate Communications at Zeus, stating that customer demand had impacted Zeus workforce hours.
“In April 2021, Zeus saw an unprecedented surge in customer demand following the restart of minimally invasive surgeries utilizing our catheter components. Our dedicated teams have worked tirelessly since then to meet this demand, ensuring that all orders were fulfilled with the highest standards of care and quality.
“As the healthcare industry stabilises, we observe a corresponding normalisation in the demand for medical device components. Consequently, Zeus is no longer experiencing the heightened order urgency seen during the peak of the pandemic and the subsequent period. This demand shift impacts workforce hours and we are taking temporary measures to address this short-term softness in customer demand.
“Production was not scheduled at our Letterkenny facility during the first week of July and will not be scheduled for the first week of August. Zeus’ long-term prospects are strong, and we are confident that demand will rebound, as evidenced by our ongoing plant expansion efforts in Letterkenny, which are on track for completion in 2025.
“We sincerely appreciate the hard work and dedication of our employees and the unwavering support of the local community. Zeus is proud to call Letterkenny home and remains committed to our future here.”
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