Moy Park
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 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Food processing |
| Headquarters | Craigavon, Northern Ireland |
Area served | Europe |
Key people | Chris Kirke |
| Products | Food |
| Parent | Pilgrim's Pride[1] |
| Website | www |
Moy Park is a Northern Ireland based poultry meat producer, the largest meat producer in Northern Ireland, with operations in the Republic of Ireland, France, Great Britain and the Netherlands.
One of the 15 biggest food companies in the United Kingdom,[2] Moy Park is the largest employer in Northern Ireland, with 6,300 employees, 5,400 in Great Britain, 800 in France, 100 in the Netherlands and around 50 in the Republic of Ireland.[1]
The company was founded in 1943 in the village of Moygashel near Dungannon; it continues to have a factory in Dungannon.[3]
In September 2015, the company was sold by one Brazilian food processing company, Marfrig, to another, JBS S.A., for almost £1 billion.[1]
A £20 million investment in Moy Park's Dungannon facility was announced in late 2015,[4] to increase production to 2.3 million birds per week.[4] In March 2016, the company announced it would be investing £4 million at its Seagoe site in Craigavon to increase production of cooked chicken.[5]
Prior to the 2016 referendum on the UK's membership of the EU, the company's Chief Executive, Janet McCollum, said that the UK should remain within the European Union.[6] The company has used the freedom of movement within the EU to employ over 1,000 workers from countries such as Lithuania, Poland and Portugal at its Northern Ireland facilities.[6] After the UK voted to leave the EU, the company announced that it planned to move its headquarters to the Republic of Ireland.[7]
In September 2017, JBS sold Moy Park to Pilgrim's Pride for £1 billion; JBS owns 79% of Pilgrim's Pride.[8]