Kellogg's European Operations Centre to create jobs

Kellogg’s has announced plans to establish an Operations Centre in Swords, Co Dublin to service its growing European market.

Announcing the IDA Ireland supported project, Tánaiste Mary Harney said: “Kellogg’s operations centre in Dublin will provide employment for up to 80 people in functions such as marketing, sales, supply chain management, finance, treasury and HR. The new facility will support the manufacturing and distribution functions for Kellogg’s thoughout Europe.

“This investment by Kellogg’s is another example of Ireland’s ability to attract strategic investments from global companies and is testament to the pro-business and flexible environment Ireland offers to major multinationals. Kelloggs chose Ireland because we have the skills that the company needs to operate successfully in an expanding Europe, including a well educated workforce and easy access to the rest of Europe,” the Tánaiste added.

Tim Mobsby, Area President of Kellogg’s said: “It is important that Kellogg’s is organised and structured in Europe to take advantage of the full market opportunities that the enlarging EU offers and responds to the changing economic and commercial landscape.

“Where better to service our European market than Ireland, where we have a significant established business and per capita consumption of ready-to-eat cereals is the highest in the world. Working with the IDA, we explored our options and Ireland won against other European locations. It proved to be the best option for us being a cost effective and efficient base with good access and communications to the EU market from a Euro-based location.”

Established in 1906, the Kellogg Company, Battle Creek, Michigan, is the world’s leading producer of cereal and a leading producer of convenience foods.

The company is quoted on the New York Stock Exchange and has a market capitalization of $16 billion. Kellogg products are manufactured in 17 countries and marketed in 180 countries around the world.

The company currently employs over 25,000 people worldwide. Sales for 2003 were $9 billion.

In Ireland the Kellogg brand has been promoted through a dedicated sales and marketing team of some 50 people since 1980.

(SP)