Francess McDonnell
Moy Park, the County Armagh food company currently enjoying global exposure as a FIFA World Cup sponsor, is to create 528 new jobs in Northern Ireland as part of a £170 million (€214m) expansion programme.
The company, part of the Brazilian food processing giant Marfrig, also recently created 100 jobs which are already in place as part of the investment initiative to bring the total new jobs boost to 628 for the North.
Moy Park, which is the largest local private company with more than 5,000 employees, intends to create further jobs across its three sites in Dungannon, Craigavon and Ballymena over the next four years.
It plans to develop additional processing lines and establish a new innovation centre and a financial services centre.
Its parent group, Marfrig, last year made Moy Park the hub for its £1.5 billion a year European operations which gave the Craigavon headquartered company responsibility for more than 11,500 employees across 16 production sites.
The decision to locate a financial services centre in Northern Ireland reflects Moy Park’s increased role and position within the group.
Sergio Rial, Marfrig global foods chief executive officer, said the Brazilian company remained committed to growing its operations in the North and that its latest investment programme would help them achieve that ambition.
“We have had ongoing, positive engagement with the Northern Ireland Executive and have experienced a very pro-business attitude,” Mr Rial said.
The government agency Invest NI will provide financial assistance of £9.5 million to Moy Park towards the cost of its expansion.
The Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster claimed today that Moy Park's investment strategy was proof that the local executive could work with international investors to grow their business.
“This investment, which will mean a £10.5 million increase in wages and salaries annually for the local economy, is a huge boost of confidence in Northern Ireland as a European food production and manufacturing centre of excellence by a world leading company.
“The expansion will further enhance Moy Park’s contribution to the local economy by enabling the business to achieve a substantial growth in sales, mostly to customers outside Northern Ireland, by 2018,” the Minister said.
