Aurivo Consumer Foods is today (Tuesday, June 25) celebrating 125 years of one of Ireland’s largest volume liquid milk plants, Donegal Creameries.
The creamery at Killygordon, which was founded in 1899, produces 140 million litres of liquid milk annually, which is a quarter of all liquid milk consumed in Ireland.
The milk supplied by 270 dairy farmers across eight counties is processed and delivered throughout all towns in Ireland by a team of 95 agents and van sales employees, as well as major retail distribution centres nationally.
Aurivo
Aurivo acquired Donegal Creameries in 2012 and has invested €10 million invested in capital projects at the plant over the last six years.
Sustainability is a key focus at the Killygordon plant with the site on track to achieve a 35% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions earlier than the government target of 2030.
A number of initiatives to reduce carbon emissions have been implemented at Donegal Creameries, including heat pump technology and the ability to use biogas.
These projects were supported by funding through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
Milk suppliers are also working to reduce the carbon footprint of their farm and to promote biodiversity by participating in the Aurivo Farm Profitability Programme and Bord Bia’s Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme (SDAS).
Commenting on the anniversary, Donal Tierney, chief executive at Aurivo Co-operative said:
“We are delighted to celebrate 125 years of Donegal Creameries – the longevity of the brand is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our 270 supplier farmers, milking 365 days a year to produce the highest quality milk products.
“I’d like to thank employees at Killygordan who have played a key role in enabling the volume of milk produced from Donegal Creameries to triple over the last 12 years.
“We look forward to working with you to further drive sustainability and sales of Donegal Creameries to ensure continued success”.
Donal Tierney, Aurivo CEO. Image: Clive Wasson
Steve Giles, site operations manager, Donegal Creameries, also highlighted the role played by staff in supporting communities through The Alzheimers Society of Ireland, Aurivo’s charity of the year, and a range of local sporting initiatives.