Dawn to invest €28m in R&D

A €28 million investment by Dawn Farm Foods, includes the development of a state-of-the-art meat science innovation centre at its food campus in Naas, Co Kildare.

One hundred new jobs will be created by the Enterprise Ireland-supported investment, announced yesterday by Enterprise Minister Micheál Martin, who especially welcomed the dedicated meat science centre, together with a programme of research and development (R&D)& projects.

He said these would help the company to respond quickly and innovatively to consumer demands, which are particularly focused on foods that are healthy and convenient without compromising on quality or cost.

Dawn Farm Foods, part of the Queally Group of Companies, employ 480 people. This will increase to 580 by 2011. The number of dedicated R&D personnel in the company will double from 15 to 30.

The company, established in 1984, is a leading manufacturer of cooked meat ingredients for sale in the EU food manufacturing and food service sectors. It also sells cooked meats in the retail sector in Ireland.

About 80% of its current output is exported to over 30 countries worldwide.

Dawn Farm Foods chief executive Larry Murrin said the company aims to deepen its penetration into continental European markets where it is targeting incremental sales in excess of €60 million over the next five years.

“We have established a leadership position in cooked meat ingredients in Europe based on product quality and value, safety, technical expertise and customer focus, and this investment marks the next phase in the growth of Dawn Farm Foods,” he said.