DALE FARM INVESTS £4M TO GROW SALES

Dale Farm, the UK dairy products business, is investing over £4 million to increase sales of its range of products including cheese, butter and yoghurt in existing and new markets it has targeted for faster growth. Northern Ireland's leading dairy company also owns yoghurt producers Rowen Glen in Scotland and Loseley in Cumbria, and is aiming to enhance its productivity and overall competitiveness particularly in export markets by investing in an extensive training programme. The company currently employs almost 500 people and exports dairy products, including milk powder, to 45 countries. The investment is one of the biggest-ever in capability by a Northern Ireland food processing company. A strategically important business for the Northern Ireland dairying industry, Dale Farm is implementing a far reaching programme of best practice training and skills development initiatives that will increase efficiency, reduce costs and further enhance the services it offers customers in Northern Ireland, Great Britain, the Republic of Ireland and abroad. Dairying processing, Northern Ireland's biggest agri-food sector, annually exports around 70 per cent of output worth over £400 million. Dr David Dobbin, Dale Farm Group Chief Executive, outlining the investment, said: ???We are making this extensive investment in training and development at all levels of our company to ensure that we can continue to grow our business against a background of intensive competition, significant energy and input cost inflation and volatile markets. ???The investment is in line with our ongoing strategy of ensuring we have an internationally competitive local manufacturing base, achieving best in class performance in terms of cost, quality and innovative products, and to embed an ethos of continuous improvement throughout the business. "By developing our skills base, applying new technology and enhancing our customer service we aim to meet the changing needs of customers and consumers and to deliver higher added value to the Northern Ireland dairy farmers who rely on us to market and process their milk,??? he added. Dale Farm is owned by United Dairy Farmers and draws much of its milk from 2,200 dairy farmers across Northern Ireland. The company has modern processing plants at Ballymena, Cookstown, Cullybackey and Lisburn. It also recently announced a substantial investment in its cheese operations. The company has a portfolio of instantly recognisable brands such as Dale Farm. Spelga yoghurt, Dromona butter, dairy spreads and cheese, as well as milk, probiotic drinks, ice cream and desserts. Dale Farm's success demonstrates the values of Northern Ireland Naturally.