Dale Farm Announces £39 Million Investment in NI Processing Operations
60 Jobs to be Created and Further 400 Safeguarded
Local farmer owned dairy processor, Dale Farm, has announced the largest ever investment in the Northern Ireland dairy sector by a single company, with a planned £39 million spend across its three Northern Ireland sites.
In a move aimed to support its rapidly growing sales in consumer products and specialist ingredients, Dale Farm’s investment programme will create up to 60 new jobs across the company as well as help secure the employment of 400 existing employees. The investment will also benefit around 2,000 dairy farmers who own the business and supply it and parent co-op, United Dairy Farmers, with milk.
The company announced its investment plans at the official opening, by DETI Minister Arlene Foster, of the first phase of its investment programme – a 50,000 tonne per annum cheddar cheese plant and a whey ultra-filtration plant in Dunmanbridge, Cookstown. Dale Farm has also commenced work on a major upgrade of its fresh milk and cream facility at its Pennybridge dairy in Ballymena which will include a new milk bottle blowing in-plant to be provided by international packaging company, Nampak, which is investing over £3 million in the venture.
Speaking at the opening of the new cheese plant, Dale Farm’s Group Chief Executive, David Dobbin, said:
“This major investment programme will enable us to further develop our added value sales in the UK and Ireland as well as into key export markets. In tandem with our other ongoing investment in skills, innovation and marketing it will enhance our ability to supply major retail, foodservice and ingredients customers.
“Overall, the investment will provide the best in class capability and economies of scale that we need to compete more effectively against major international competitors. Our products are already achieving world-class status with our Extra Mature Cheese recently being selected as best in class at the World Cheese Awards. Overall, our cheeses have won 13 major national and international awards in recent months,” he added.
For further information, please contact Dana McCusker / Kelly McKee at Morrow Communications. Tel: 028 9039 3837 / 0777 333 6249.
