Food and drink companies dominate Top 100

Poultry processor Moy Park, part of the Brazilian Marfrig organisation, holds its position as Northern Ireland's biggest company in the latest survey of business in the region.

Based at Craigavon, county Armagh, Moy Park, Northern Ireland's only £1 billion business, achieved record profits of over £24 million last year, according to the survey undertaken by Dun and Bradstreet of the region's Top 100 companies.

Moy Park's sales rose by 1.6 per cent and profitability by an impressive 508 per cent.

The poultry processor, which supplies major retailers in the UK, other parts of Europe and further afield, heads 20 businesses in food and drink in the Top 100, reflecting the industry's position as Northern Ireland's biggest sector particularly in terms of manufacturing and sales outside Northern Ireland.

Food and drink in Northern Ireland is now a £4 billion industry employing around 20,000 people and selling over 90 per cent of its products abroad.

The top 10 includes the region's biggest dairy co-operative, United Dairy Farmers, Belfast, which recorded turnover of £437 million last year and markets products such as butter, cheese and yoghurt under the Dale Farm and Dromona brands.

The top 10 features John Henderson Holdings, Northern Ireland's biggest food wholesaler and retailer and operator of the Spar franchise.

Overall, Northern Ireland's Top 100 biggest companies grew sales by over 10 per cent last year.

Among other food and drink processors listed in the Top 100 are:

Fane Valley Cooperative Society, Armagh (turnover £339m), a processor of meat (Linden Foods and Kettyle Irish Foods) dairy products (Armaghdown) and breakfast cereals (White's Speedicook);

Foyle Food Group, Londonderry, county Derry (£240m), a meat and poultry processor;

Coca-Cola (Northern Ireland),Lisburn, county Antrim (£205m), part of Hellenic Bottling Corporation;

TMC Dairies (NI),Strabane, county Tyrone (£155m), a manufacturer of dairy powders and cereals;

Diageo Northern Ireland,Belfast, county Antrim (£147m), producer of Old Bushmills Whiskey and Baileys Original Irish Cream Liqueur;

Dairy Produce Packers,Coleraine, county Derry (£139m), processor of cheese slices;

Lakeland Dairies (NI)(£76m), owner of LE Pritchitt in Newtownards, county Down, a processor of dairy creamers and mini pots;

The list also includes Greenfields Ireland, Belfast (£178m), an international marketer of dairy products including powders, butter and cheese.

Food wholesalers listed include SHS Group, Belfast (£430 million), owner of brands including Merrydown Cider, WKD, Schloer and Bottlegreen; Lamex Food Group, Coleraine, county Derry( £146m); Marlbank (Hilton Meats), Belfast (£92m); and drinks wholesaler James E McCabe, Portadown, county Armagh (£89m).