Kerry Regulatory News (KYGA)

News release

01 October 2015

Official Opening of Kerry Global Technology & Innovation Centre

Taoiseach Enda Kenny T.D. officially opens Kerry Group's €100m Global Technology & Innovation Centre in Ireland.

Project supported by Department of Jobs through Enterprise Ireland.

Kerry Group, the global taste & nutrition and consumer foods group, today opened a new Global Technology & Innovation Centre to serve the Group's global and regional customers in the EMEA [Europe, Middle East and Africa] region. Located on a 28 acre site, in the Millennium Business Park, Naas [adjacent to the M7 and M50 Dublin motorways], the new Global Centre was officially opened by An Taoiseach Enda Kenny in the presence of Minister Richard Bruton, Minister Simon Coveney and the Kerry Group Board of Directors.

Kerry Group has invested €100m in establishment of the new Technology & Innovation Centre which today accommodates 800 research, product commercialisation, business development and business support positions, and which will accommodate a further 100 positions by the end of 2016.

Speaking at the Official Opening Ceremony, Stan McCarthy, Kerry Group Chief Executive said, "Our new Global Technology & Innovation Centre will serve as a focal point for Kerry's customer engagement activities providing key customers with access to the Group's complete breadth and depth of technologies, scientific research, innovation and applications expertise, across food, beverage and pharmaceutical markets. In addition it will serve as the Group's Global Centre of Excellence for Nutrition and will optimise product differentiation in the marketplace while providing unrivalled speed to market".

He said, "Today's consumer markets, and changing food and beverage consumption trends, call for renewed vigour in product innovation and development of nutritious product solutions and menu offerings. Kerry's approach to innovation capitalises on our total Taste & Nutrition technology offering and unique end-use-market applications capability."

Mr McCarthy added that Kerry Group is extremely proud of the new world-class Technology & Innovation Centre which received tremendous support from the Irish Government, State Agencies and Kildare County Council. He also said that the Centre would support functional and business leadership development and scalable sustainable growth in Kerry well into the future.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD who officially opened the new Kerry Centre said, "This €100 million investment by Kerry Group is a welcome vote of confidence in Ireland and a great boost for the local economy in Naas. Kerry is a world leader in the food sector and the new Global Technology & Innovation Centre will further enhance Ireland's reputation for excellence in research, development and innovation in the food and beverage industry. This Government has been a strong supporter of Ireland's agri-food industry in securing the recovery. Through the Food Wise 2025 strategy we plan to increase agri-food exports to €19 billion and support another 23,000 new jobs."

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton TD, whose Department provided support for this project, said, "At the heart of our jobs strategy is creating a powerful engine of Irish enterprise. Today's announcement by Kerry is a brilliant example of what we are trying to achieve. Here is a strong Irish multinational company, making world-leading products in Kildare, exporting them all around the world, investing €100m and creating 900 jobs from scratch. This project is an inspiration to our industrial efforts, I am delighted to be here to congratulate Stan and wish the team every success with this project".

Minister Simon Coveney TD said, "The completion of this facility, a €100m project, is the largest single investment in food innovation ever by a company in Ireland. It represents a huge vote of confidence in the Irish economy. Equally importantly, it represents a resounding endorsement in the quality and expertise of Irish food science graduates to deliver food innovation in the most modern global facility producing world class ingredients and consumer products."

-Ends-

Notes to Editors:

About Kerry Group

Kerry Group today is a world leader in Taste & Nutrition serving the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries and a leading consumer foods processing and marketing organisation in selected EU markets. From the commissioning of its first manufacturing plant in Listowel, Ireland in 1972, the Kerry organisation has grown to become a highly successful public company, having achieved sustained profitable growth with current annualised sales in excess of €5.8 billion. Launched as a public company in 1986, the market capitalisation of the Group has grown to a current level of approximately €12 billion. Kerry Group now employs over 24,000 people throughout its worldwide activities and operations.