€40 million Kerrygold Park expansion
Ornua, the company that owns Kerrygold, yesterday revealed a new €40 million development at Kerrygold Park, the flagship butter production facility located in Mitchelstown.
The investment is part of Kerrygold's efforts to become the first €2 billion food brand in Ireland, and to meet the rising demand for its products, especially in the United States, where it ranks as the second-largest butter brand.
The expansion in Mitchelstown includes advanced processing technology and infrastructure to boost the annual production capacity to over 80,000 tonnes of butter, equivalent to more than 1 million packs per day. The facility now includes two state-of-the-art butter churns and ten packing lines offering over 50 product formats distributed to more than 60 markets worldwide.
The new development was officially opened by the Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD, and the Minister for Enterprise, Trade, and Employment, Simon Coveney TD.
Minister Coveney welcomed the investment, which is seen as a significant step for the dairy industry and the agri-food sector in Ireland.
“The Kerrygold brand supports the lives and livelihoods of hard-working Irish farming families throughout rural communities. Ornua’s investment in growing Kerrygold Park, which we are pleased to support through the Capital Investment Scheme, will further strengthen routes to high-value markets for Irish dairy, while directly supporting incomes that form part of our vital rural economy,” he said.
As a result of the investment, 30 new jobs have been created at Kerrygold Park, bringing the total workforce to 180. Commenting on the expansion, Minister Charlie McConalogue said: “Today’s announcement represents a very significant milestone in the long and successful Kerrygold story, and indeed, the story of Irish dairy.
“Irish dairy farming families work tirelessly to produce the world-class milk which makes Kerrygold a world-famous dairy brand.
“This investment ensures Kerrygold has the world-leading processing capabilities needed to continue to grow the brand and generate value for the community of Irish dairy farming families which it represents.”
Ornua continues to invest in growing the Kerrygold brand at home in the Irish market, where it has launched a new 100g Kerrygold Butter Stick.
Jenny Melia, Executive Director, Enterprise Ireland described the cutting-edge facility as a guiding beacon for other food businesses aiming to expand. “The opening of Kerrygold Park reflects highly on the entire Irish dairy sector - pooling together innovation with best-in-class facilities. This state-of-the-art facility is a lighthouse to other Irish food companies looking to innovate and grow exports,” she said.