Glanbia Co-op and Glanbia Ireland have announced that following the acquisition of the former, the new entity will now be called “Tirlán”.
The name combines the Irish words “Tír” for land and “Lán” for full.
Tirlán was introduced to both staff and farmer shareholders during a webinar held today at the co-op’s new collaboration center in Kilkenny’s Abbey Quarter.
In December 2021, farmer shareholders voted to acquire the remaining 40% of Glanbia Ireland’s shares from Glanbia plc to become full owners of the Irish dairy and grains business.
In the coming weeks, the cooperative’s shareholders will be asked to vote to approve the cooperative’s name change.
Glanbia plc will retain and continue to operate under the Glanbia name as a wholly separate entity. Tyrlan will remain the largest shareholder in Glanbia plc with a 31.9% stake.
The Tirlán portfolio will include Avonmore, Kilmeaden, Premier, Wexford and international brands such as GAIN Animal Nutrition, Truly Grass Fed, Millac and Solmiko nutritional milk proteins.
As a cooperative, Tirlán is 100% farmer-owned, with 11 processing plants, 52 agricultural branches and more than 2,100 employees. Sales revenue this year is expected to exceed 3 billion euros.
The cooperative makes a significant contribution to the economy of the village. Last year, it paid more than €1.6 billion directly to farm families for milk and grain. As the largest buyer and consumer of Irish grain, Tirlán handles over 270,000 tonnes, including a portfolio of premium grains.
Tirlán has a strong global footprint with presence in the UK, France, Germany, UAE, USA, North Africa, Japan and China markets. Currently, the group exports to more than 80 countries.
It recently broke ground on a €200m state-of-the-art continental cheese factory in Bellevue, Co Kilkenny, in a joint venture with international dairy producer Royal A-ware.
With more than a third of Ireland’s milk pool, Tyrlan will continue to be a key player at the heart of the Irish food and drink sector, an area of huge importance to both the national economy and our overall export success.
As part of its ‘Living Proof’ sustainability strategy, the organization has signed up to the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi).
It set out a roadmap with ambitions, backed by a robust implementation programme, to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, with an absolute reduction of 30% by 2030 and a similar reduction in the carbon intensity of milk production.
This ambitious plan demonstrates Tyrlan’s bold commitment to farmers and society as a whole, and to the wider food and nutrition sector, and shows how they intend to work towards a fully sustainable future.
