Finnebrogue invests £2.5million in new exports
Friday, 19 February 2010Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster has announced that local food processor Finnebrogue is investing £2.5million to expand exports.
The Minister made the announcement during a visit to the Downpatrick firm, which is based at Finnebrogue Estate. It has already created 35 new jobs since June as part of the investment project and it currently employs 65 people.
Finnebrogue is being assisted by Invest Northern Ireland, and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development through the EU Processing and Marketing Grant scheme, to expand its successful range of added-value sausage and venison products. The premium products have already been listed by major food retailers including Marks and Spencer, Waitrose and Tesco and are available throughout the UK and Ireland.
Arlene Foster said: “This is an immensely important investment by a company which has established an impressive record in offering major retailers highly innovative products, backed by excellent customer-focused services. The company’s sharp focus on new products, sales outside Northern Ireland and the additional employment that this will provide are an important boost for a predominantly rural community. It will also offer local suppliers opportunities to expand their business.
“Finnebrogue’s success is a further example of the huge contribution that the local food and drink processing industry is making to the wellbeing of the rural economy. It’s a progressive and ambitious industry that is increasingly winning business in Great Britain and further afield, through a commitment to new products and thorough professional marketing.
“As a result of this focus, food and drink processing is now our second biggest manufacturing exporter, with exports having increased by nearly 20% in 2007. In 2008, total food and drink processing sales increased by 6.3% to reach nearly £3billion, some 18% of our total manufacturing sales. More recent data indicates that the number of employee jobs in the Manufacture of Food Products Sector increased by 3% over the year to September 2009.”
The Minister concluded: “The company is also demonstrating an impressive commitment to the developing world through its brand ‘Good Little Company’. For every pack bought, a staple meal is donated to someone who needs it most, every day, for two weeks. In just 10 months the company has supplied over 2.5 million meals to families in under developed countries.”
Finnebrogue Managing Director Denis Lynn said: “We are making this strategic investment to enable us to strengthen further our competitiveness in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland markets. It increases our production capacity and capability in key areas such as financial management, marketing and new product development.
“Our success in very dynamic and demanding markets is based on working closely with major multiples on the development of premium brand products, that meet both existing and anticipated requirements. Over the years, we’ve focused significant resources on providing them with a highly flexible and responsive service.
“A key feature of this new investment is the strengthening of our brand portfolio. This will help us to achieve our objective of trebling turnover by the end of 2012.”
Notes to Editors:
1. Finnebrogue has been offered financial assistance of £137,000 by Invest NI towards the costs of this investment. Additional support is being provided by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) through the EU Processing and Marketing Grant (PMG) Scheme.
2. The PMG Scheme forms part of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013, funded under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).
3. The Invest NI assistance covers a range of activities include processing improvements and developments in key areas such as marketing and IT.
4. The company, which has Grade A certification from the British Retail Consortium, was established in 1986 by Mr Lynn as a food marketing and distribution business. In 1996, the company diversified into the processing of quality venison under the Finnebrogue brand. It established the first deer slaughtering plant in Ireland in 2002.
5. The company processes of a wide variety of pork and venison products including sausages, burgers, steaks and joints, for both restaurants and retail sales. These products are sold under brands such as Paul Rankin, Jimmy Doherty, Good Little Company and it’s own Artisan label as well as significant own label business with Marks and Spencer.
6. The venison range is sold under the Marks and Spencer ‘Oisin’ range and Finnebrogue supply 100% of the venison sold in this retailer. ‘Oisin’ refers to the venison bred at Finnebrogue which is under 21 months old to assure the most tender meat.
7. The diversification of the company into outdoor bred and organic pork sausages has led to massively increased business with Marks and Spencer’s premium range. It also produces the successful Paul Rankin branded sausages into Tesco Ireland and Waitrose. The company has worked closely with foodie celebrities and recently developed a sausage range with Jimmy Doherty which is having great success in Tesco UK. The ‘Good Little Sausages’ brand owned by Finnebrogue and listed by Tesco and Waitrose is finding great customer feedback and support through it’s website: ‘www.thegoodlittlecompany.com’ 
8. Official statistics on the increase in exports and total sales in the Food and Drinks Sector came from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development publication “Size and Performance of the Northern Ireland Food and Drinks Processing Sector, Subsector Statistics 2007, with provisional estimates for 2008” published in October 2009. Estimates of the total value of Manufacturing exports and sales in 2008 were sourced from DETI’s Manufacturing Sales and Exports Survey published in December 2009. Statistics on the changes in employee jobs in the Food Sector were sourced from the DETI Quarterly Employment Survey published in December 2009.
9. For media enquiries please contact the DETI Press Office, telephone 028 9052 9297. Out of office hours, please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.
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