A new mozzarella cheese factory in Portlaoise will employ 78 people and absorb a €130m investment by joint venture partners Glanbia and Leprino Foods, with an undisclosed chunk of that coming from taxpayer via Enterprise Ireland.

Glanbia Cheese, the joint venture between Glanbia plc and US-based Leprino Foods, will operate the cheese manufacturing plant at the Togher National Industrial Estate. If planning permission is granted, construction will begin later this year and the new facility will begin production in 2020.

Glanbia Cheese is already one of the largest mozzarella makers in Europe, with manufacturing operations in Llangefni in Wales and in Magheralin in Northern Ireland. As both those facilities are in the UK, Glanbia Cheese would seem to hedging its bets against a hard Brexit.

Glanbia Cheese customers include most of the leading pizza and pasta chains, food service operators, industrial food manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers across Europe and internationally.

Between 2010 and 2016, various divisions of Glanbia received €18 million in taxpayer payments channeled through Enterprise Ireland. The company booked a net profit of €329 million in 2017 and shareholders were paid €41 million in dividends.

In Association with

Glanbia managing director Siobhán Talbot said: “Our partnership with Leprino Foods has been very successful for both partners to date and we are very positive about the potential of this new venture. We have worked closely with Enterprise Ireland on this project and are very appreciative of their support and commitment. We now look forward to moving the project on to its next phase.”

Leprino Foods president Mike Durkin added: “This new plant in Portlaoise is an exciting project that will not only expand our thriving partnership with Glanbia, but will take advantage of our combined experience, knowledge and strengths to build a state-of-the-art facility to meet consumer demand for mozzarella cheese. It also reflects a desire to increase our presence and benefit from having a facility that is in close proximity to the growing European markets.”

The new plant will be supplied with most of its key raw materials by Glanbia Ireland, and will  supply products to customers in the food service sector of the pizza category in Europe.