Schumer Joins With Bausch + Lomb Employees to Celebrate Opening of New Contact Lens Manufacturing Line in Rochester

Press Release

Today, at the Bausch+Lomb Manufacturing Facility in Rochester, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer joined with Bausch+Lomb employees to celebrate the opening of a new manufacturing line that will be used to produce the new "ULTRA" contact lens. This new production is expected to create 120 jobs and help retain over 1,000 employees in R&D and manufacturing. Schumer said that this new contact lens line is a major victory for the Rochester economy and demonstrates Bausch+Lomb parent company Valeant's commitment to growing manufacturing in Rochester. Schumer discussed his role in urging the company to produce this new contact lens line in Rochester, where it was originally developed, instead of Ireland, where the company was initially considering manufacturing the product.

"Rochester's Bausch + Lomb workforce invented the soft contact lens and it's only fitting that B+L's next great lens innovation, ULTRA, will be manufactured in Rochester by 120 newly-hired workers," said Schumer. "I appreciate that B+L's parent company Valeant heeded my call last summer to build these new multi-million dollar manufacturing lines right here in Rochester -- and not overseas. These new Bausch + Lomb manufacturing lines will help keep more than 1,000 good-paying, high-skilled jobs here in Rochester. All signs say ULTRA has the potential for massive growth, which will keep Rochester and its innovative workers at the forefront of growing this storied Rochester company for decades to come."

ULTRA is one of nine new cutting edge products that B+L is launching, and therefore will be a major focus of B+L's push to gain a larger share of the contact lens market. Schumer said that Valeant's ultimate decision to manufacture the ULTRA line in Rochester will result in new jobs for Rochester-Finger Lakes residents and enhance the entire regional economy. Specifically, this new production line is expected to create 120 jobs and help retain over 1,000 employees in R&D and manufacturing. Moreover, Schumer said, it will further cement B+L's presence in the region for a generation.

Thus far, the first of the full-scale manufacturing lines has been installed in the Rochester plant and the final testing is being completed. The second full-scale manufacturing line is slated to be installed this coming fall. Schumer said that Valeant is investing over $106 million to install two full-scale manufacturing lines to produce the new ULTRA contact lenses in Rochester. Specifically under the direction of Rochester-based general contractor LaChase Construction, B+L has put more than 240 construction and trades workers to work renovating a large portion of B+L's Rochester manufacturing facility on North Goodman Street into a new Optics Center where the two new Bausch + Lomb ULTRA manufacturing lines are being installed. In total, the contractors have dedicated approximately 65,000 straight hours of work, including 2,050 overnight hours.

Schumer explained that when Valeant acquired Bausch+Lomb, in August of 2013, there were several key products in the B+L pipeline that were positioned as cornerstones to drive the company's future growth. One of these products was the Next Generation SiHy (Silicone Hydrogel) Monthly Contact Lens, now called ULTRA. This product line was developed under the code name "Zeus." ULTRA, as it is now known, was originally developed by R&D researchers in Rochester, and the demonstration pilot manufacturing line was also built in Rochester. However, before being acquired by Valeant, prior B+L management made plans to install the full-scale commercial manufacturing lines in Ireland once it gained FDA approval. ULTRA was approved by the FDA in fall 2013. Leading up to Valeant's purchase of B+L in August 2013, in a series of letters, meetings, and phone calls, Schumer personally urged and ultimately helped convince Valeant CEO J. Michael Pearson to consider keeping all of the ULTRA manufacturing in Rochester. 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. Pearson personally committed to evaluate Schumer's request and ultimately agreed to it in November 2013.

Schumer was joined by J. Michael Pearson, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Valeant Pharmaceuticals International; Joseph Hart, Executive Director of Site Operations for Bausch+Lomb; Amy Butler, Bausch+Lomb's Vice President of Global Environment, Health, Safety, and Sustainability; as well as many local Rochester employees of Bausch+Lomb. Schumer also toured the Bausch+Lomb facility and new Optics Center, which will be the home of the new Ultra contact lens production line.

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, based at the company's manufacturing and research facilities on North Goodman Street. The 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.

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