Glanbia expansion project worth €150 million
Print2 May 2013
Glanbia has announced plans to build a €150 million milk processing plant at Belview Port on the Kilkenny-Waterford border. Glanbia produces household brands such as Avonmore milk and Kilmeaden cheese and is the biggest milk producer in the country.
The construction of the plant would create over 2,000 jobs in spin-off industries in the south-east region. Enterprise Ireland, the state agency which supports Irish companies, said it would back Glanbia’s plans. Although the plant will only employ 76 people when it opens in two years’ time, both the Government and the company claim it could spur about 1,000 extra farm jobs and another 600 local jobs as a knock-on effect of its construction. Work on the construction of the new facility, which will in turn create 450 jobs, is due to begin this month.
Glanbia said the move will be worth €400 million a year to the Irish economy. Almost all of the milk that will be processed at the new plant will be exported to Asia, Africa and South America. Most of it will be sold as dry milk powder which can be used for infant milk formula, cheese and nutritional products.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny said the plan was a "massive vote of confidence in Ireland and our agri-food sector". Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney hailed the news as "the biggest jobs announcement" of the year. Glanbia Ingredients Ireland head Jim Bergin, who will run the plant, said the move was "a significant, strategic development for our business", while Enterprise Minister Richard Bruton claimed the announcement was of "major strategic significance". Glanbia is building the plant to deal with a huge increase in the amount of milk its suppliers will produce when EU caps on milk production are removed in 2015.
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