New Glanbia facility to create 76 direct jobs
Glanbia Ingredients Ireland Ltd (GIIL) said today that it is developing a new dairy facility in Belview on the Kilkenny/Waterford border that will create 76 direct and 1,600 indirect jobs and contribute around €400m each year to the economy.
The Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation is part-funding the facility’s development through Enterprise Ireland.
GIIL processes 1.6 billion litres of milk or 30pc of Ireland’s milk pool into a range of dairy ingredients for export to more than 50 countries. All produce from the new facility will be for export markets.
Construction is set to begin on 17 May and the new facility is expected to begin production in spring 2015.
The company said the facility will have a significant impact on the income of farm families, boosting the rural economy and the local industries that will service on-farm expansion.
Glanbia Ingredients Ireland Ltd is the joint venture between Glanbia plc and Glanbia Co-Op that was created last year.
“The Belview facility is a significant, strategic development for our business,” said GIIL CEO, Jim Bergin. “Most of all it reflects our confidence in, and commitment to our 4,300 milk suppliers. By providing this additional processing capacity we will be facilitating milk suppliers in their ambition to avail of the opportunity presented by quota abolition post 2015.
“We are very pleased that through Enterprise Ireland, the Government is acknowledging the economic contribution of the Belview project. It will contribute €400m per annum to the local economies of 16 surrounding counties and demonstrates a real long-term commitment to farm families and the rural economy.
“The Belview plant will be entirely focused on export markets and will supply a range of nutritional powders to an increasing number of regions including the Middle East, Africa, Central America and Asia.”
“The Government is delighted to support GIIL’s significant investment in the Irish dairy industry as it represents a massive vote of confidence in Ireland and our agri-food sector,” said Taoiseach Enda Kenny, who unveiled details of the Government’s support.
“Glanbia is one of Ireland’s great home-grown success stories and their investment in the South East region will be welcomed by rural communities and farmers. Creating new jobs remains the top priority for Government and today GIIL is announcing that it will generate over 1,600 direct and indirect jobs by 2018 and an additional 450 during the construction phase. It is the largest single dairy investment in the history of the State and will contribute greatly to Ireland’s export-led recovery.”
“It is companies like Glanbia – innovative, dynamic, flexible indigenous Irish companies – that represent the future of Irish exports, and sustainable Irish jobs,” said Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Eamon Gilmore.
Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Employment, Richard Bruton described the support of Enterprise Ireland as of “major strategic significance.
And Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney said the said the announcement “is a milestone in realising the tremendous potential for dairy expansion which is a cornerstone of the Food Harvest 2020 strategy”.