Hull-based ​Cranswick buys Northern Ireland's pork-processor Dunbia

Dunbia Ballymena employs 360 people and slaughters around 7800 British-reared pigs each week
Dunbia Ballymena employs 360 people and slaughters around 7800 British-reared pigs each week

Hull-based meat producer Cranswick has bought Dunbia Ballymena, a pork processor based in Northern Ireland, marking its third acquisition in two years.

Dunbia Ballymena employs 360 people and slaughters around 7800 British-reared pigs each week, turning over more than £70m last year.

The acquisition will boost Cranswick's existing pork business, which sells fresh meat, sausages and other products to food retailers and supermarkets. It is also its first foray into Northern Ireland.

Adam Couch, CEO of Cranswick, said: “This acquisition strengthens our UK pork processing business and provides us with greater control over our supply chain, ensuring that we can maintain the production and processing of high quality, UK farm-assured, pigs which is central to our customer’s requirements.

“The management at Ballymena have created long-lasting and sustained supply chain relationships and we look forward to building on this and continuing to invest in the facilities, and the team, over the years ahead.”

Jim Dobson, Dunbia’s group chief executive, said Cranswick specialises in pork production and has the scale and growth potential to continue to grow the Ballymena business.

“Dunbia is pleased to welcome the investment of a major UK PLC into the Northern Ireland economy and we wish them every success. The wider Dunbia business is unaffected and will continue as normal,” Mr Dobson added.

Dunbia was founded by brothers Jack and Jim Dobson in 1976 and started out as a small, family butcher shop in Tyrone. Today, it is still controlled by the Dobson brothers but it has grown into a multinational organisation, which employs 4,000 people and has an annual turnover of more than £1 billion.