New Lough Egish plant creates 40 new jobs

Glanbia Consumer Foods Ireland officially opened its new UHT (Ultra-Heat-Treated) milk processing facility in Lough Egish this morning. With processing capacity for up to 100 million litres of milk per annum, the new facility will produce a range of standard and fortified UHT milk and cream products for export under Glanbia’s market leading brand, Avonmore. 

Forty new jobs have been created at Lough Egish, 21 of which have already been filled, representing a total investment of €15 million by Glanbia, with support from the Department of Jobs through Enterprise Ireland. A range of long-life liquid milk and cream products suitable for export to global markets including Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia will be produced at the site while value added milk and cream will also be produced at the facility in the near future.
The new site was officially opened today by Arts Minister Heather Humphreys and Ged Nash, Minister for Business and Employment at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.
Minister Humphreys described the investment as “a great boost for Monaghan and the North East region”.
“The agri-food sector is a vital source of employment in the region and the creation of 40 new jobs as a result of this new facility is fantastic news for Monaghan. Glanbia is a highly innovative Irish exporting company, producing world-class products for global export markets and creating much needed employment for hundreds of people in Ireland.”

Positive impacts
Minister Nash added: “Enterprise Ireland has worked closely with Glanbia to support its continued growth and expansion and this significant investment is a great boost for Monaghan and the wider region. Companies such as Glanbia are very important to the economy in rural areas like Lough Egish. Glanbia’s investment will have very positive impacts for the region, not only in terms of the 40 new direct jobs, but also in the indirect benefits to the local and wider economy”.
The new facility has a number of innovative technological features, developed in conjunction with Glanbia’s Innovation Centre in Kilkenny. These include dual processing, which means that raw milk can be processed using direct or indirect heat, resulting in a fresher UHT product and a unique double homogenisation system for the production of cream.

Key role
Henry Corbally, chairman of Glanbia Group said the opening of the facility is further evidence of their support for the liquid milk business in Ireland.
“This new best-in-class facility will play a key role in our strategy to further develop an international business for Irish liquid milk and cream products and will ensure that our relationship with our farmer suppliers continues to deliver significant benefits and opportunities to them.”