Irish Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Simon Coveney, yesterday officially opened a new $12 million facility at Thiel Cheese & Ingredients (Thiel) in Hilbert, Wisconsin.
The new facility is part of an $80 million expansion investment made by the Irish Dairy Board (IDB) in their U.S. Food Ingredients business. The investment expands the production capability of the business by more than 40 percent and continues to support the 135 jobs which exist in the business.
“We are excited to open this state-of-the-art facility at Thiel Cheese & Ingredients in Wisconsin,” said Neil Cox, president of IDB’s U.S. Food Ingredients.
“Wisconsin, like Ireland, has a proud tradition of producing some of the best dairy products in the world and has developed into a hub of innovation for cheese production. This new facility enhances our ability to create innovative food solutions that meet the evolving needs of our U.S. customer base and their brands.”
IDB acquired the Thiel business in 2011 and, since then, the business has grown strongly with sales rising to $80 million in 2013, up 13 percent. Thiel supplies cheese and cheese-based ingredients to some of America’s largest food companies.
“I’m delighted to be here today to mark this significant new investment by IDB. This new facility will further strengthen the positioning of Ireland and Irish agri-business expertise in the United States as well as support the economic prospects of Irish dairy farmers,” said Minister Coveney at the opening.
“We are entering an exciting time for the Irish dairy sector as EU milk quotas will be abolished next April and today’s opening represents the kind of investment which will help the sector realize its true potential.”
The new Thiel development is a state-of-the art facility, which includes a Customer Innovation Center created to develop new products and functional dairy solutions for Thiel’s U.S. food ingredients and food service customers, keeping the company at the forefront of the food ingredients business in the U.S.
The facility also boasts some of the most advanced cheese processing equipment in the U.S. dairy industry.
IDB is Ireland’s largest exporter of dairy products. Founded more than 50 years ago, IDB is best known for its Kerrygold and Dubliner brands. Ireland, like Wisconsin, is known around the world as a producer of top quality dairy produce. PD
—From Irish Dairy Board news release
PHOTOS
TOP:Chef Andrew Hunter talks to Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine Simon Coveney TD, in the new state-of-the-art Customer Innovation and R&D Center which is part of a $12 million cheese manufacturing facility at Thiel Cheese & Ingredients in Wisconsin. The opening marks the completion of $80 million investment by the Irish Dairy Board in its U.S. Food Ingredients investment program and the facility will increase its production by 40 percent.
BOTTOM: Left to right Chef Andrew Hunter talks to Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine Simon Coveney TD, Irish Dairy Board CEO Kevin Lane and Neil Cox, vice president of Irish Dairy Board Food Ingredients U.S.
Photos by Jeffrey Phelps, courtesy of the Irish Dairy Board.
