Glanbia Ireland, the dairy brand company owned by the Glanbia Co-operative Society, has rebranded to Tirlán, distinguishing it from the publicly listed food group Glanbia. The co-op will also be known as Tirlán.
The new name combines the Irish words for land (tír) and full (lán) and stands for “land of abundance”, representing “the deep connection and relationship between the co-op, its people and the land”, the company said.
The 100 per cent farmer-owned Tirlán is the business behind Irish brands such as Avonmore, Kilmeaden, Premier and Wexford in its portfolio, while its international brands include Gain Animal Nutrition, Truly Grass Fed, Millac and Solmiko.
The new name was unveiled to employees and farmer shareholders during a webinar hosted in the co-op’s new collaboration centre in Kilkenny’s Abbey Quarter.
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Co-op shareholders will now be asked to vote to approve the name change for the business in the coming weeks, then a “phased transition” to the new brand will take place.
The rebrand follows Glanbia plc’s announcement last November that it intended to sell its remaining 40 per cent holding in Glanbia Ireland to the co-op for €307 million. The deal was completed in April this year.
Glanbia plc, as a separate entity, will retain and continue to operate under the Glanbia name. Tirlán remains the largest shareholder in Glanbia, with a 31.9 per cent shareholding.
Tirlán has 11 high-tech processing facilities, 52 agribranches and more than 2,100 employees, while sales revenue this year is forecast to exceed €3 billion. The company, which exports to more than 80 countries, recently began construction of a €200 million continental cheese plant at Belview, Co Kilkenny, in a joint venture with international dairy producer Royal A-ware.
“Entering this new phase of our co-op’s journey, Tirlán has ambitions for an ever-increasing role in the wider economy, the international food and nutrition sectors, and especially in rural communities across the country,” said Tirlán chief executive Jim Bergin.
The launch event was also addressed by Tirlán’s brand ambassador, Irish rugby international Tadhg Furlong.
“Coming from a country background and a farming family, I know the hugely important role farming co-operatives play in local communities and economies across Ireland,” Mr Furlong said.
“In that regard, Tirlán is one of the most important businesses in Ireland and I am proud to help promote visibility and awareness of the co-op to farming families, Tirlán customers, and the wider public over the coming months.”
