Pepsi-Cola to create 250 new jobs in Cork

US soft drink manufacturer, PepsiCo, has announced plans to build a new plant in Cork with creation of 250 new jobs.

The company has agreed to acquire land from Cork County Council at Kilnagleary, Carrigaline for a second concentrate manufacturing facility in Ireland.

The plant will supply soft drink concentrate for its European operations and will supplement the company’s existing facility at Little Island in Cork which employs 160 people.

The investment package is said to worth $150 million.

The company said: "The final go-ahead for the project is conditional on approval both by the Government and the Board of Pepsico Inc., while the land sale must come before Cork County Council for formal approval."

The plant is expected to provide 100 jobs initially, rising to a total of 250 over the next five years.

Mr Frank O’Mahony, chief executive of Pepsi-Cola International, said: "The announcement was a reflection of the success of the company had enjoyed in Ireland for the past 27 years."

"We have a world class operation here in Little Island which is a great tribute to the quality of our workforce and to our relationships which have been established in Cork since we first set up", Mr O'Mahony said.

He thanked both Cork County Council and the IDA for their assistance in locating a suitable site.