€38 MILLION DAIRY PLANT BRINGS 65 NEW JOBS[
THE €38 million Ornua butter and packing plant in Mitchelstown, dubbed ‘ the new global home for Kerrygold’ was officially opened on Tuesday.
The Kerrygold Park facility will have the capacity to produce 50,000 tonnes of butter per year and will initially create 65 new local jobs with the hope of more new roles being created in the future.
The Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed TD, performed the official opening of the new facility in the company of Jobs Minister Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD and Ornua chairman, Aaron Forde and CEO Kevin Lane.
Ornua, previously know as The Irish Dairy Board, is the largest exporter of Irish dairy produce, exporting to more than 110 countries across the globe.
The latest investment in the Mitchelstown facility is part of the company’s strategy to ramp up the value of its export sales from its current level of €750 million per year to more than €1 billion.
In addition to its butter production capabilities, Kerrygold Park will also have the capability to produce new butter products not currently available in Ireland. It will also be the home of the ‘Green to Gold’ customer innovation centre, which Ornua believe will be a key destination for international customers visiting Ireland.
Speaking at the opening Minister Creed described the development of Kerrygold Park as a “major vote of confidence in the future of the Irish dairy industry.”
“By opening new markets and developing new products, Ornua is playing a key role in delivering demand for Irish products to meet increasing demand following the abolition of milk quotas,” said Minister Creed.
“Furthermore, this new facility offers a significant jobs boost to North Cork and the South West region,” he added.
Minister Mitchell O’Connor described the opening of the new facility as “excellent news for the people of Mitchelstown and North Cork”.
Ornua CEO Kevin Lane said the opening of Dairygold Park marked “a special day for Ireland’s Dairy industry.”
“Kerrygold Park is the core to our ambitious plans to develop Kerrygold from a butter brand to a dairy brand,” said Mr Lane.
“Not only will the new facility significantly enhance our production, it also greatly improves our innovation capability and our ability to deliver premium dairy products to consumers around the world. This is the most effective way of securing value to Irish dairy products,” he added.
Mitchelstown based TD Kevin O’Keeffe (FF), said Kerrygold Park would help restore Mitchelstown to its rightful place at the heart of the Irish dairy industry.
“I also welcome the new jobs that the facility will create. The spinoff from Kerrygold Park to local industry will also bringa welcome financial boost to the town and the wider North Cork region,” he said.