Northern Irish meat processor Dunbia and Irish-based processor Dawn Meats have completed a new joint venture, with all relevant regulatory clearances approved.
Dawn Meats has agreed a strategic partnership with Dungannon firm Dunbia to establish a majority owned joint venture in the United Kingdom comprising the UK operations of both organisations.
The combined UK businesses now trade as Dunbia and are managed by former Dunbia head Jim Dobson as chief executive and Dawn Meats' CEO Niall Browne as executive chairman.
The combined businesses in the UK and Ireland will process approximately 900,000 cattle and 2.6m sheep annually.
Commenting, Niall Browne, CEO of Dawn Meats said he was very pleased to have successfully concluded the process. "(We) can now look to deliver the benefits that we believe this transaction will bring for our customers, staff and suppliers. Our focus will continue to be on quality and sustainability across 3 leading national businesses: Dawn Meats in Ireland, Dunbia in the UK and Elivia in France."
Dawn Meats was established in 1980 and has grown to a business with more than £1.8 billion annual sales, employing over 7,000 staff in eight countries, while Dunbia was founded in 1976 by brothers Jim and Jack Dobson as a butcher's shop in Dungannon and has a turnover of around £800 million.
