Emydex Customers grow via Acquisitions and Expansions

8 July 2013

Emydex’s existing customer base has grown significantly over the past 18 months, with Emydex customers adding 10 new sites to their existing food processing operations. Whether a sign that Irish & UK based Agri-food industries continue to perform strongly in a global market downturn or a sign that food processors that invest in Emydex systems continue to be successful or both, it is certainly a positive development for all parties involved.

Most recently the Kepak Group announced the take-over of ABP’s beef processing facility in Ballybay, Ireland (formerly Silvercrest) on the back of winning the Burger King contract to exclusively supply burgers to Burger King Restaurants in Ireland and the UK¹. The acquisition safeguards 125 jobs at the Ballybay facility.

Also announced in the past few months, Euro Farm Foods are to extend their beef abattoir processing facility in Duleek, Ireland by adding a new boning hall operation that will create 50 new jobs for the region².

In addition a recent Emydex customer Kavanagh Meats in Co Wexford, Ireland has begun work on a new project with Emydex to build a new Beef and Lamb abattoir to add to their existing Beef and Lamb Boning hall operation in Enniscorthy. Meanwhile in Scotland, Vivers/Scotlamb this month (July 2013) announced their intention to extend their Emydex lamb kill line system into their existing Lamb boning hall operation in Dumfries.

All these developments follow a series of expansions and acquisitions by two of Emydex’s largest group customers over the past 18 months. The Dunbia group last month opened a £12m revamp of their Lamb processing facility in Llanybydder, Wales that includes an innovative de-boning operation provided by Emydex in conjunction with SF Engineering³. This follows the Dunbia Groups’ acquisition of the G Woods pork processing operation in Mansfield, England in March 2013⁴, as well as the acquisition of Heathfield Foods in Crewe, England in November 2011⁵.

The Dawn Meats group, one of Ireland’s largest food processors opened a new €14m facility in Carroll’s Cross, Ireland in June 2012⁶. The 40,000 square foot facility was purpose built to service a €300 million contract to process up to 18,000 tonnes of Irish beef annually for McDonald’s. The beef processing facility produce up to three million hamburgers per day, which are exported abroad to McDonald’s markets throughout Europe. This new plant follows the Dawn group’s acquisitions of West Devon Meats, England in April 2012⁷ as well as Duerden Meats, England in September 2011⁸.

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