FDBusiness.com

Ireland’s largest exporter of Irish dairy products, the Irish Dairy Board, has unveiled its new global corporate identity, Ornua – The Home of Irish Dairy. The move coincides with the removal of the EU milk quota regime.

Ornua owns the iconic Kerrygold brand which is synonymous the world over for quality butter, cheese and milk powders, selling 100s of millions of packets of butter each year. Ornua currently supplies dairy branded products and ingredients into over 110 markets around the world.

Over the past five years Ornua has been transforming its business in preparation for the removal of milk quotas – a new era for Irish dairying.  This new global identity marks the next step in this journey.

Ornua’s mission is to open and develop valuable global markets for dairy products and in so doing, deliver strong returns to the farmers it represents.  This goal is being achieved by a team of over 3,000 dedicated staff working in Ireland and across its 18 subsidiaries and in-market teams around the world.

Ornua’s drive to secure new high-value outlets for Irish dairy products has seen the business make significant investments in the US, Germany, the UK, Saudi Arabia, and most recently, in Spain.  Over the last five years, Ornua has invested over €200 million in growing its brands, in innovation and in opening new production facilities and offices around the world.  The co-operative is currently building a Centre of Excellence for Kerrygold Butter Production & Packing in Mitchelstown, Co. Cork.  This centre will support the global development of the Kerrygold brand, which will be a valuable outlet for the expanded milk output from 2015.

The name Ornua links to Irish heritage and also brand heritage through the Kerrygold marque. The name is also easy to pronounce – an important consideration when operating in over 110 countries.

Kevin Lane, chief executive of Ornua, comments: “Our business has been steadily building a global infrastructure to ready itself for the opportunities post quota will bring. We have invested in our people, our brands, new products, in our facilities all over the world and in the excellence and sustainability of all aspects of our business. A business with such reinvigorated ambition needs an identity that is fit for a very bright future. We now complete our preparation, by unveiling an identity which not only reflects our position as a modern customer and consumer-facing business but one which acknowledges and celebrates our proud dairy heritage.”

The trading name Irish Dairy Board Co-operative Ltd has changed to Ornua Co-operative Ltd. The change relates solely to the corporate identity. IDB’s corporate structure and portfolio of consumer brands including Kerrygold, Pilgrims Choice, Dubliner, Beo, Shannongold and MU will remain unaffected.

This is the second time, in the 54 year history of the organisation, that it has changed its name. Originally established in 1961 by the Irish Government as An Bord Bainne, it became a co-operative in 1973. It adopted the name Irish Dairy Board Co-operative Ltd in 1994.