Northern Irish operations part of Kerry Group growth

Kerry Group, which has several manufacturing operations in Northern Ireland, has reported strong financial performance coupled with solid business development in all core business areas and markets in2015. The group, Ireland's biggest agri-food business, has a series of plants in Northern Ireland producing dairy products and snack foods. The Northern Irish businesses include Golden Cow, a leading butter processor, which is based in Portadown, county Armagh, Denny's, a meat processor, also in Portadown, Dairy Produce Packers in Coleraine, county Derry, one of Europe's biggest producers of cheeseslices for the fast food sector, and Kerry operations in Enniskillen, county Fermanagh and Omagh, county Tyrone. Enniskillen produces Matteson's snacks and Omagh, dairy products. Headquartered in Tralee, county Kerry, Kerry Group reported a 10 percent rise in profits in 2015. Revenue increased by over six per centto around ?5 billion. The group expects to see further earnings growth in 2016. The group said it had seen a "strong" performance despite a challenging year, citing commodity and currency volatility and shifting consumer shopping patterns. Kerry noted that whilst economic conditions had improved in most of its regional developed markets, consumer demand had remained weak, and developing markets overall "exhibited slower economic growth." However, despite this the company continued to achieve good volume growth, particularly in its Taste & Nutrition segment. "In a record year of business development in 2015, the group achieved a strong financial performance, delivering continued business margin expansion and 8.2 per cent growth in adjusted earnings per share. Our industry-leading technologies are well positioned to meet today's consumer and customer requirements," sayschief executive Stan McCarthy. Northern Ireland Food and Drink companies are celebrating the regions pure, natural, quality food and drink in 2016, with a series of local, national, and international promotional events.