Kerry Dairy Ireland, a division of Kerry Group, is today (Thursday, June 13) officially opening its new Cheestrings facility in Charleville, Co. Cork.
The company said that the expanded plant has resulted in a 50% increase in production capacity and the creation of an additional 60 jobs
The investment, understood to be in the region of €30 million, has been supported by Enterprise Ireland and the government’s capital investment scheme for the agri-food processing sector.
The development is also supported under the EU Brexit Adjustment Reserve.
Kerry Dairy Ireland
Kerry Dairy Ireland’s said that the investment represents “a significant investment in the business” and reflects its “ambitious growth plans for the Cheestrings brand”.
The company estimates that 17 Cheestrings are currently consumed every second.
Along with bringing additional capacity, “the cutting-edge facility” in Charleville will also support new processing capabilities and efficiencies.
Commenting on the expansion, Pat Murphy, chief executive of Kerry Dairy Ireland said:
“This investment in Charleville reflects our belief in Cheestrings and the bright future for the brand.
“As we cut the ribbon today, our commitment to quality, innovation, and community remains steadfast and we look forward to Cheestrings continued success and expansion.”
Edmond Scanlon, chief executive of Kerry Group added that Cheestrings has been “a fantastic success story over the past thirty years, and a great example of an innovative healthy snack product for everyday consumption”.
“This new facility underpins the growth plans for Cheestrings, and demonstrates our business’s commitment to the locality,” he said.
Investment
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue explained that the capital investment scheme was created in recognition of the challenges faced by the agriculture sector due to Brexit.
“Investment in new market development helps to bring benefits to all those along the supply chain particularly farmers, our primary producers, who are key contributors to our €16 billion export sector of which our dairy exports account for over €6 billion.
“I welcome that this investment by Kerry in Cheestrings is aligned with the environmental sustainability requirements of the scheme reflecting the importance of showing that our dairy sector is committed to developing in an environmentally sustainable way,” he said.
Leo Clancy, chief executive of Enterprise Ireland said that the opening of the new facility “reflects highly on the entire sector”.
“This state-of-the-art facility is a beacon of inspiration to other Irish food companies looking to innovate and we wish Pat and the team every success in growing the Cheestrings brand both here in Ireland and overseas,” he said.