The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney T.D. has announced the creation of 100 jobs as a result of on-going innovation, growth and investment at Kepak’s Consumer Food facility in Watergrasshill, Co Cork. This expansion is supported by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation through Enterprise Ireland.
Speaking during a visit to the plant this week (26th October, 2012) Minister Simon Coveney said; “Kepak Cork today employs almost 600 people across a wide range of activities with 60 of those positions alone created this year. I am pleased to announce that this is projected to grow by a further 40 during 2013 thanks to the success of the Kepak Cork team in developing highly innovative meat products to serve the retail and consumer foods market. That’s an additional 100 jobs created in just over a 12 month period.”
The Kepak Cork facility comprises two main businesses. The core business portions and packs retail ready chilled meat packs for the Musgrave Group’s SuperValu and Centra stores in Ireland. The facility also processes a range of ‘slow cooked’ own label and branded consumer meats and the Big Al’s branded burger range. Both businesses are focussed on the EU retail sector and rely on innovative customer focussed solutions to maintain growth.
Kepak’s ‘slow cooked’ ‘range has evolved from a marketing concept to a vibrant consumer food business through the innovative endeavours of the team in Cork and this business unit alone will employ 150 people by the end of the year. Total sales for the Kepak slow cooked business are projected to reach about €50 million in 2013. The company is the market leader in this new and growing category both in Ireland and in the UK where it enjoys a 38% market share.
Minister Coveney also noted his personal pride in the fact that much of the success of the Kepak Cork facility was rooted in a partnership which had been “made in Cork”. “Speaking to the team here today I have been struck by their pride in the partnership with the Musgrave Group which has been a huge success for both parties and indeed for the Cork hinterland. Indeed, the partnership is the bedrock of the Kepak Cork business as the company supplies beef, lamb and pork from the site to the 194 SuperValu and 465 Centra stores in Ireland.”
