SCHUMER, IN PERSONAL CALL WITH VALEANT CEO, PUSHES COMPANY TO BRING B+L JOBS TO ROCHESTER AFTER VALEANT REVEALED IT IS CONSIDERING CLOSING IRISH B+L PLANT – FOLLOWING CONVERSATION, SENATOR HOPEFUL NEW MANUFACTURING JOBS COULD BE ON THEIR WAY TO ROCHESTER
Valeant Currently Considering Whether To Close B+L Plant In Ireland With 900 Workers; Decision May Be Made By Mid-June – Schumer Urges CEO to Relocate Those Jobs To Rochester Plant; Latest Push Follows Schumer Success in Getting Valeant to Locate New 100-Job Ultra Contract Lens Production Line to Rochester Instead of Ireland last year
Following Conversation With CEO, Schumer Confident Rochester Would Have Great Shot At Adding Jobs If B+L Decides To Close Ireland Plant
Schumer to Valeant: Look Toward Rochester For Irish B+L Jobs
In light of the news that Valeant is considering closing their contact lens plant in Ireland, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer urged the CEO of Valeant Pharmaceuticals, the owner of Bausch+Lomb, to strongly consider moving the work and jobs to Rochester. Schumer said that, after his phone call with CEO J. Michael Pearson, he is confident that Rochester will have a great shot at adding work and jobs from the potential closure of the Ireland plant. Schumer successfully pushed Valeant to locate the manufacturing of the next-generation contact lens line called “Ultra” in Rochester instead of Ireland, and is following up that effort by urging Valeant to make a similar move with the jobs in Ireland. Schumer explained that Rochester has a number of competitive advantages over other locations, including a dedicated and well-educated workforce, and a wealth of experience in optics manufacturing.
“Rochester’s Bausch + Lomb has proven time and time again that it is efficient, productive and profitable; it’s exactly the type of facility that should receive more work and jobs. When I heard that Valeant was considering cutting jobs at their Ireland facility and potentially closing it, I called the CEO of Valeant and urged him to move that work and those jobs to Rochester, and he said he would seriously consider it,” said Schumer. “We had a candid and fruitful conversation, and I am hopeful that Rochester will have a great shot of adding jobs if the Ireland facility is indeed slated for closure. During our call, I reiterated the proven track record of Rochester’s Bausch and Lomb facility and reminded CEO Pearson that their recent success with the new ‘Ultra’ line of contacts should be another strong proof point that B+L is ready for more work.”
After reports emerged that Valeant is cutting 200 jobs at its Ireland facility and considering closing the plant entirely, Schumer called Valeant to urge that they consolidate the jobs and work at Rochester’s Bausch + Lomb facility. Schumer announced that CEO Pearson confirmed that they would consider Rochester as a possible location for additional jobs.
Since its inception in 1853 in Rochester, Bausch + Lomb has evolved into a multi-billion dollar optical company and today employs approximately 1,000 workers in the Rochester region, primarily based at the company’s manufacturing and research facilities on North Goodman Street. company, a leader in technology and optical care, specializes in eye health products such as contact lenses, lens care, pharmaceuticals and surgical devices and instruments.