Niall Browne, the chief executive of Dawn Meats, has been chosen as The Irish Times Businessperson of the Month for October, an award run in association with Bank of Ireland.
During the month, the Waterford-based meat processor received the green light to acquire a majority stake in New Zealand’s biggest meat processor, Alliance Group.
The Irish company has paid $270 million NZD (€132 million) to acquire a 65 per cent shareholding in Alliance.
Responding to the vote by Alliance shareholders, Mr Browne said: “We are pleased and excited by the outcome of the vote by Alliance’s farmer-shareholders and we now look forward to maximising the potential of the new opportunities this strategic partnership will unlock in the future for both Dawn Meats and Alliance.”
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“Having the ability to now grow in partnership with some of New Zealand’s leading farmers and create a year-round supply for our customers between the northern and southern hemispheres is a fantastic opportunity and one our customers are already responding to,” he added.
Speaking to The Irish Times at the time of the shareholder approval, Browne said that while the appetite for red meat was on the rise globally, there were limited opportunities to secure supplies to satisfy that demand.
“For a company like Dawn, which has grown to the size it has in Ireland and Britain, there is not much more we can grow in those jurisdictions,” he said.
Dawn Meats is a family-owned business founded in 1980. According to its website, it has more than 8,000 employees, exports to about 50 countries, and has annual turnover in excess of €3 billion.
