History
Ward Automation are renowned for delivering innovative, high quality automation equipment for multinational customers in the medical device, pharmaceutical and other high-end manufacturing industries.
We have a strong focus on nurturing relationships with our clients by building trust and confidence. Our highly skilled staff take pride in working closely with our customers, their loyalty and commitment has been synonymous to our success.
OUR VISION
“Our relentless passion for innovation and developing ingenious solutions to the most complex of automation challenges is ingrained in everything that we do.
Driven by this, our goal is to always set the standard and be the supplier of choice for automation equipment to the global medical device, pharmaceutical and high end manufacturing industries.”
1995
Ward Automation is established in Sligo by John Ward. John previously worked for fourteen years with a multinational medical device company on machine design and managing automation projects sourced from established European equipment builders. As almost all automation equipment at that time was imported into Ireland, Ward Automation was formed to cater for the growing Irish pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing industries.
1996
The first assembly machine is completed which remained in 24/7 production for over 20 years.
1998
First export project, to the USA. Today exports account for 30% of Ward Automation’s turnover.
2000
First fully automatic production line developed for filling IV solutions into bags.
2001
Moved into a purpose built factory in Sligo to provide more manufacturing space for our growing team of dedicated staff.
2008
Achieved ISO 9001 accreditation.
2009
First robots integrated into a Grade A, aseptic pharmaceutical vial processing application.
2018
Growing demands for the company’s automation solutions secured the need for a new €2.2 million state of the art manufacturing facility in Sligo.
2020
Ward Automation wins the 2020 Irish Times Innovation Award in the manufacturing and design category for developing a vaccine production machine – the SP-600 Syringe Inspection Packaging machine.
2021
Ward Automation achieves a Gold level status in Rockwell Automation OEM program
2023
Factory expansion to further increase manufacturing capacity by 120%
