Ornua opens 30m euro cheese production facility in Spain

Irish dairy company Ornua has opened a €30 million mozzarella and pizza cheese production facility in Ávila, Spain.

The facility has been built on the former Ornua cheese manufacturing site, opening two years to the day since it was destroyed by a fire.

Ornua said the 35,000-tonne facility – that it plans to increase to 70,000-tonne – “greatly enhances” its pizza cheese-making capacity.

The reopening of the Ávila facility has also marked the creation of Ornua Ingredients Europe, which brings Ornua’s Spanish and UK ingredients businesses together. The new division is a supplier of cheese and dairy powder ingredients.

Employing 120 people, the Ávila facility features a R&D centre of excellence with a pilot plant and innovation kitchen dedicated to developing pizza cheese and cheese ingredients.

“Today’s opening of our new cheese facility here in Ávila is fully in line with Ornua’s growth strategy of investing in world-class strategic production facilities to secure long-term returns for Irish dairy farmers,” said John Jordan, Ornua CEO.

“This major investment will play a key role in enhancing our cheese ingredients capacity and capabilities. It will reinforce our position as a leading, large-scale supplier of high-quality dairy ingredients to many leading Spanish, European and global food manufacturing and foodservice customers.

“Our new Ávila R&D Centre of Excellence becomes the tenth innovation centre in our international network, which will ensure that Ornua has the capability to support our customers at the forefront of the rapidly changing dairy ingredients market.”

Led by newly appointed managing director Joan Bombardo, Ornua Ingredients Europe incorporates Ávila and Ornua’s UK ingredients businesses, giving it a turnover in excess of €300 million, four processing and NPD facilities and 600 staff.