As the EU milk quota was finally removed in Europe at the beginning of April, Ireland’s largest exporter of Irish dairy products, the Irish Dairy Board, revealed its new name and corporate identity: Ornua – The Home of Irish Dairy.
Ornua – taken from the Gaelic “ór Nua” or “new gold” – owns the iconic Kerrygold brands (including Pilgrims Choice, Dubliner, Beo, Shannongold and MU) and supplies dairy branded products and ingredients into over 110 markets around the world. Its new identity is designed to reflect its Irish heritage but provide a more globally approachable image for the organisation.
Commenting on the unveiling of the new global identity, Ornua chief executive Kevin Lane said: “Our business has been steadily building a global infrastructure to ready itself for the opportunities post-quota will bring. We have invested in our people, our brands, new products, in our facilities all over the world and in the excellence and sustainability of all aspects of our business. A business with such reinvigorated ambition needs an identity that is fit for a very bright future. We now complete our preparation, by unveiling an identity which not only reflects our position as a modern customer and consumer-facing business but one which acknowledges and celebrates our proud dairy heritage.”
The Ornua name has also been chosen as it is easy to pronounce – an important consideration as the organisation’s drive to secure new high-value outlets for Irish dairy products has already seen the business make significant investments in the US, Germany, the UK, Saudi Arabia, and most recently, in Spain. Over the past five years, Ornua has invested over €200m in growing its brands, in innovation and in opening new production facilities and offices around the world. The co-operative is currently building a centre of excellence for Kerrygold butter production and packing in Mitchelstown, County Cork. This centre will support the global development of the Kerrygold brand, which will be a valuable outlet for the expanded milk output from 2015 now that quotas have been removed. Milk production in Ireland is forecast to increase by 50% by 2020 following the removal of the quota system.
This is the second time, in the 54-year history of the organisation, that it has changed its name. Originally established in 1961 by the Irish Government as An Bord Bainne, it became a co-operative in 1973. It adopted the name Irish Dairy Board Co-operative Limited in 1994.
Source : Foodbev