The Kerrygold Company and North Downs Dairy to Merge
The Kerrygold Company and North Downs Dairy, both wholly owned British subsidiaries of the Irish Dairy Board, are merging to create one consumer foods business, Adams Foods. This will take effect from 3rd October 2010.
The new company will combine the marketing capability of both organisations to grow the Kerrygold and Pilgrims Choice branded portfolio and will harness the respective strengths of the two cheese packing operations to efficiently deliver the broadest range of pre-packed hard cheeses to the UK market. The combined business will have an annual turnover of £335m and will aim to drive an aggressive added value growth agenda in the UK market.
The factory facilities of both The Kerrygold Company, based in Leek, Staffordshire, and that of North Downs Dairy, based in Wincanton, Somerset, will remain fully operational.
Carl Ravenhall, currently managing director of The Kerrygold Company, will become the managing director of Adams Foods. “Our aim is to be the most enterprising dairy marketing company in the UK and a leading supplier of cheese, butter and other dairy products to the retail and foodservice sectors,” he explains. “By combining our strengths we are creating one company that can market, sell, produce, and distribute the Kerrygold and Pilgrims Choice branded portfolio in addition to the broadest range of retailer brand hard cheeses across the UK.”
Alastair Jackson, currently managing director of North Downs Dairy, will become marketing director for Adams Foods.
