FDBusiness.com

Northern Ireland meat processor Linden Foods has opened a new state-of-the-art retail packing and product development facility in Dungannon. The facilities are the result of a £10m investment by the company which will create 85 new jobs over the next three years bringing Linden’s total employment figure to 520. Invest NI has offered assistance totalling £497,000 part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

The new 5,740 sq m premises are located adjacent to the company’s main processing site and include an innovation centre incorporating a development kitchen as well as new preparation, production and dispatch areas. Linden Foods anticipates that as a result of the investment in the new facilities and in new product development the company will be able to increase sales by 32%, most of which will be sold in markets outside Northern Ireland.

“Linden Foods business strategy remains focused on innovation. We are committed to providing our customers with a range of exciting new products that are well ahead of current trends within the food retailing sector,” says Gerry Maguire, managing director of Linden Foods. “This new facility, which includes a dedicated development kitchen where new recipes can be trialled and crafted, is the next natural step for the company’s growth and will allow us to bolster our position as market leader within the meat processing industry.”

Linden Foods is part of the Linden Food Group, which also incorporates Slaney Foods and Irish Country Meats. The group has a turnover of more than £300m and employs 1,100 people across seven sites in Ireland and England.

CAPTION:

Northern Ireland Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster is pictured with Trevor Lockhart, chairman of Linden Foods.