Glanbia Ireland to create 80 jobs as part of plans for €140m Kilkenny cheese factory
Glanbia Ireland is to create 80 new jobs after it announced plans to build a new €140m cheese manufacturing facility in Belview, Co Kilkenny.
Glanbia and Royal A-Ware, a Dutch cheese and dairy producer, today announced plans to enter into a partnership to build the facility.
It is scheduled to open in 2022 and it is expected that 100 temporary jobs will be created during the construction phase.
Glanbia says milk used in the production process at the new facility will be sourced locally while the cheese will be marketed and sold globally.
Jim Bergin, the chief executive of Glanbia Ireland, said: “This new partnership will create a new route to market for Glanbia Ireland suppliers’ milk and diversify our portfolio of consumer dairy products and ingredients
Since 2014 we have invested €343m to facilitate a 42% increase in milk production by Glanbia farmers.
"This proposed new investment is now required to diversify our product mix and to ensure that our suppliers have the opportunity to fulfil their growth ambitions," he said.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Michael Creed, said: "Investments like this cheese manufacturing facility in Belview are a critical response to the challenges posed by Brexit, in terms of developing new products and new markets."
Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys, also welcomed today's announcement.
“Growing jobs at a regional level is a key focus for government and with the looming challenge of Brexit, supporting economic growth in our regions through such actions as product diversification, thereby helping to create sustainable and quality jobs, is a huge priority for Government,” she said.
