A new €4m expansion at Wexford-based yoghurt producer Killowen Farm was unveiled by An Taoiseach Micheál Martin on Thursday.

The new investment will see the dairy producer’s workforce almost double with the addition of 25 new jobs and will enable the business to grow its cream cheese production through the development of a new production line.

About 150 people, including Minister of State and local TD James Browne, local county councillors, farm workers and their families joined the unveiling event at Courtnacuddy, Co Wexford.

The €4m investment, partly supported by a grant from Enterprise Ireland, marks the largest single expansion in Killowen Farm’s history and it will now employ a workforce of 72 people.

Farm owners, the Dunne family, have been producing yoghurt under the Killowen Farm brand since 2004 and now export to international markets, including Dubai, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore.

‘Success story’

Marking the €4m expansion, An Taoiseach Micheál Martin said Killowen Farm is “a real Irish success story”.

“Ireland produces some of the world’s best dairy produce, and Killowen is a fantastic example of a family farm that has moved into food production and stayed within the local community,” he said.

Also speaking at the unveiling event, Killowen Farm chief executive Nicholas Dunne said: “This is a very significant investment for Killowen Farm, which will allow us to create 25 more jobs in the local economy and grow our business by adding higher value to existing local milk supplies.

“We have worked closely with Enterprise Ireland, and other State agencies such as Bord Bia and Teagasc for many years, and we really value our long-term relationships with them.”

Dunne said the expansion “would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of the entire team at Killowen Farm” and thanked them, along with the farm’s customers for their “support, collaboration and encouragement”.

Enterprise Ireland executive director Stephen Creaner said the agency has been delighted to support Killowen Farm and the Dunne family on their “exciting journey” and congratulated them on the “huge milestone for their company”.