Name: IAWS, or Irish Agricultural Wholesale Society. Background: The group celebrates its centenary this year, having been founded in 1897. It soon began supplying farming equipment such as seeds and shovels and helped to export eggs, butter and meat. A publicly-quoted company on the Dublin and London stock exchanges. It has 3,500 shareholders.
It currently employs 1,850 people, including 500 in Northern Ireland.
Achievements: The company took over animal feeds group R & H Hall in 1990 for the equivalent of £42 million. Ever since its profits have been consistently ahead of market expectations. Interests: Manufacturing and distribution in consumer foods, animal feeds, fertilisers, proteins and oils. Largest manufacturer of blended fertilisers and the most significant of marine protein and fish oil in Britain and Ireland.
Why is it in the news? The group made its biggest purchase to date this week, buying Cuisine de France for £51 million.
Philip Lynch
Age:
Education: Hamilton High School, Bandon, Copswood College, Limerick, Waterford Regional Technical College, where he studied accountancy and economics.
Occupation: Chief executive of IAWS. Started his career in 1967 as a technical sales representative for Odlums. Former chairman of An Post. Now chairman of An Bord Bia.
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