Sponsored
Haleon is a major employer in the southeast region and a supporter of local communities
Employing around 760 people at its Dungarvan base, Haleon, formerly GSK, has had a long and deep-rooted connection with Waterford city and county. SS Paul, site head and vice president of manufacturing, has been working with the company for 27 years and is proud to follow in his father’s footsteps as an employee of the global healthcare giant.
“I have been working in my current role and living in Dungarvan for three years now. There is a huge sense of community spirit and pride that exists in Haleon – you will see sons and daughters follow in their families’ footsteps taking up employment with the company, or you may see cousins work side by side,” he said.
“The message we want to convey is that Haleon is deeply rooted in the local community. We are the home of leading consumer brands, like Panadol, Polident and Poligrip, and we are committed to fostering employment opportunities for future generations.
“Haleon has had a presence in Dungarvan for over 40 years, and we’ve always followed very strict quality standards to deliver safe, effective care to consumers around the world.”
Name some of Haleon’s best-selling products, and they will instantly register as household names. Panadol, the pain relief medication, and Polident and Poligrip, adhesives and cleaning range for dentures, are sold globally, and are manufactured in Dungarvan, Co Waterford.
“We demerged from GSK in July 2022, and our portfolio of different products leverage the science, innovation and human understanding behind each of them,” added Paul. “We serve consumers in five categories: pain relief; oral health; vitamins, minerals and supplements;respiratory; and digestive health.
Haleon has a revenue of around £11.2 billion globally. With two manufacturing sites in Dungarvan, Panadol is manufactured in the over the counter (OTC) site, and Polident and Poligrip manufactured in the oral care (OC) site.
There is a huge sense of community spirit and pride that exists in Haleon
Haleon Dungarvan is one of the largest manufacturing sites in Haleon’s network, producing around six billion tablets and 147 million tubes of Poligrip covering over 80 markets globally. “Our site is among the top four manufacturing sites from a scale perspective, making Dungarvan a key global Haleon site. This makes the business in Ireland so important to Haleon and the community itself,” Paul added.
“We have invested significantly in both sites by more than €45 million with the installation of fully automated packaging lines, upgraded laboratory equipment and kept up from an AI (artificial intelligence) perspective. In 2024 we achieved our net-zero carbon status, a target set by the business, ahead of schedule”.
Another example of Haleon’s community connection is with South East Technological University (SETU), where collaboration takes place from a research point of view as well as recruiting talent amongst graduates.
“We have a graduate programme called Future Leaders. We bring in graduates to work across different areas and different functions over a period of three years, giving them a strong foundation to develop within the business,” he continued.
Haleon also works closely with local charities, choosing charities to fundraise for every year.
The charities chosen in 2024 include My Canine Companion – which provides accredited service dogs to people with disabilities as well as a range of therapy dog services and autism awareness programmes – Crumlin Children’s Hospital, Dogs for the Disabled, Barnardo’s, St Vincent De Paul and many more.
All funds raised go towards supporting the invaluable services these charities offer throughout communities in Ireland.
“We have a strong belief in giving back to the communities where we live and work and since 2022, we have contributed approximately €90,000 in support of these charities. This is something that is really important to us,” Paul said.
“The Dungarvan team is always seeking ways to connect with and support the community and our customers. This year we have hosted an afternoon social event for members of the Deise Day Centre, a ‘home away from home’ for people aged 65 years and over.
“We are also supporting a range of local events and festivals including the West Waterford Festival of Food autism-friendly sensory space and Dungarvan Pride.”
For more information, see Haleon.com
