New Cheestrings facility in north Cork town expected to create dozens of new jobs

The facility was opened last week by Kerry Dairy Ireland, a division of Kerry Group.

The expansion to the Kerry Group plant in Charleville represents a “significant investment” in the business supported by Enterprise Ireland and the Government’s Capital Investment Scheme for the Processing and Marketing of Agricultural Products.

According to Kerry Group, the investment enhances production capacity by 50%, creating an additional 60 jobs locally and “is a reflection of Kerry Dairy Ireland’s ambitious growth plans for the Cheestrings brand”.

Kerry Group said that since its creation nearly 30 years ago, the Cheestrings brand has achieved major success, in becoming a feature of lunchboxes across the UK and Ireland. It is estimated that 17 Cheestrings are consumed every second, according to the company.

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Peter Burke TD said the opening of the facility “represents a very significant milestone in the long and successful growth story of the globally recognised Cheestring brand”.

“This strategic investment into this world class facility was part financed by the Government’s Capital Investment Scheme for the Agri Food processing sector. It is also supported under the EU Brexit Adjustment Reserve. This support ensures Kerry Dairy Ireland has the world-leading processing capabilities needed to continue to grow the brand globally while directly supporting the local economy here in Charleville through the creation of jobs,” Minister Burke said.

Speaking at the opening of the facility, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue TD said that the Government established the capital investment scheme in recognition of the challenges faced by the sector and particularly its unique exposure to the impact of Brexit.

“The scheme represents this Government’s strong commitment to supporting investments like this Cheestrings manufacturing operation that will help underpin the Agri food sector’s sustainable development in the future. Investment in new market development helps to bring benefits to all those along the supply chain particularly farmers, our primary producers, who are key contributors to our €16bn export sector of which our dairy exports account for over €6bn,” Minister McConalogue said.

“I welcome that this investment by Kerry in Cheestrings is aligned with the environmental sustainability requirements of the scheme reflecting the importance of showing that our dairy sector is committed to developing in an environmentally sustainable way. I congratulate Kerry on this project.”

Pat Murphy, CEO of Kerry Dairy Ireland said that the company’s investment in Charleville reflects its belief in the Cheestrings brand.

“As we cut the ribbon today, our commitment to quality, innovation, and community remains steadfast and we look forward to Cheestrings continued success and expansion,” Mr Murphy said.

Edmond Scanlon, CEO of Kerry Group said that Cheestrings has been a “fantastic success story over the past thirty years, and a great example of an innovative healthy snack product for everyday consumption”.

“This new facility underpins the growth plans for Cheestrings, and demonstrates our business’s commitment to the locality,” Mr Scanlon said.

Leo Clancy, CEO of Enterprise Ireland said that his organisation is committed to supporting companies like Kerry Dairy Ireland.

“This state-of-the-art facility is a beacon of inspiration to other Irish food companies looking to innovate and we wish Pat and the team every success in growing the Cheestrings brand both here in Ireland and overseas,” Mr Clancy said.