PLAYING OUR PART IN RURAL IRELAND
Pictured at the launch of the services were sisters, Mabel Harper (5) and Scarlett Harper (3) along with Paul Byrne, PostPoint National Sales Manager, Brendan Hayes, Glanbia Ireland Vice Chairman and Senan Foley, Head of Retail at Glanbia Ireland. Photo Patrick Browne
Playing Our Part In Rural Ireland
Glanbia Ireland partners with PostPoint to provide a range of convenient services across 11 counties
Glanbia Ireland is collaborating with An Post subsidiary PostPoint to bring a range of convenient services to Glanbia Ireland branches and the rural communities they serve.
Officially launched just before Christmas, the service allows customers to pick up and return their parcels through 18 Glanbia Ireland branches nationwide. Using the long-established PostPoint service, shoppers will be able to collect and return purchases in Glanbia Ireland branches from more than 180 online retailers.
In addition to the parcel collection and return services, all 32 Glanbia Ireland branches will also offer PostPoint services including bill payment, gift cards, stamps, mobile top-up and National Lottery Quickpick and scratch cards.
Paul Byrne, PostPoint National Sales Manager said: “With parcel collections and returns booming in recent years and many more people shopping from home, we’re delighted to partner with Glanbia Ireland to provide a convenient local facility for Irish online shoppers.”
Glanbia Ireland’s local branches are often the heartbeat of many rural communities and offering these services is ‘Living Proof’ of the part we’re playing in helping to secure the long-term sustainability of rural Ireland.
Senan Foley, Head of Retail at Glanbia Ireland said: “Our branches and all our dedicated people have been servicing the needs of farmers and rural communities for decades. This collaboration with PostPoint is the latest expansion of our offering and acts as an important part of our commitment to offer a broad range of services to the communities we operate in. We look forward to continuing to build on this long into the future.”
H&S – IT’S NO ACCIDENT!
H&S – It’s no accident!
Health and Safety remains at the forefront of GI, with the launch of the 2021 Health & Safety report
Glanbia Ireland’s Health and Safety team works on the principle that ‘nothing we do is worth getting hurt for and every accident could and should be prevented’. So it’s with great pride that the team that helps keep us all safe at work released its 2021 Health & Safety report last week.
In the midst of ongoing Covid-19 challenges, key H&S metrics improved in 2021, building on already strong performance in 2020. For only the second time ever, there were zero lost time accidents across the whole of GI during the busy month of December. That means all our people returned home safe, well and free from any injury that would stop them from being able to complete their work the following day. Added to this, there were zero critical incidents throughout all of 2021.
For the year, GI’s Lost Time Incident Rate (LTIR) and Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) targets were achieved with a 35% reduction in LTIR and 45% in TRIR. “These metrics are globally recognised and used to report on the likelihood of an accident occurring in the workplace, explains Glanbia Ireland’s Head of Health and Safety, Ed Elder. “We are very pleased to report our annual LTIR and TRIR rates are both nearing what would be seen as ‘world class’ with our most recent improvements. This marks an overall improvement of 77% for our LTIR and 70% for our TRIR since launching our GI Health & Safety Strategy in January 2019.”
Glanbia Ireland’s Health and Safety strategy is delivering against all its objectives thanks to a collective effort across the business, with leadership and guidance from the H&S Network team led by Michael O’Connor, GI’s Chief Quality & Compliance Officer, Ed Elder and Tom Crosbie, Health and Safety Manager. With health and safety part of everyone’s roles, keeping our workplaces safe is also down to all employees who keep safe work practices front of mind and look out for each other each and every day.
Thanking everyone for their efforts, Ed said: “Our Health and Safety performance is a fine example of what we can achieve through collaboration, working cross functionally and having clear goals and objectives. The stats in our latest H&S report are testament to the value our people put on ensuring we operate in safe environments and the huge effort made to make this happen.”
CHRISTMAS JUMPER DAY RAISES OVER €3,000 FOR FOCUS IRELAND
Christmas Jumper Day raises over €3,000 for Focus Ireland
GI employees’ ‘Spirit of Giving’ has helped to raise €3,050 for homeless charity Focus Ireland as part of our Winter Well programme
Colleagues got in the festive spirit during Christmas Jumper Day on December 17th, with over 120 people posting pictures on Yammer or emailing them in, with plenty more woolly delights on show across all GI locations!
Along with a €2 donation being made for every jumper picture submitted, a fantastic €1,310 was generously donated by employees to help people without a home across Ireland. Glanbia Ireland will now top up this amount to make a €3,050 donation.
Thanks to everyone who got in the spirit and donated so generously!
MINISTER VISITS GI'S NEW FACILITY
MINISTER VISITS NEW €15M FACILITY
Agriculture Minister visits Glanbia Ireland’s new €15 million Innovation Centre
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue toured GI’s new 2,000 sq m Research & Development hub recently. Guests including Enterprise Ireland’s Alexa Toomey viewed facilities which include a plant-based lab capable of milling grains to different sizes for various applications, the site’s new sensory suite, the applications and development lab, a modern visitor engagement experience, along with analytical laboratories and one of Ireland’s most sophisticated pilot-scale spray dryers.
The Innovation Centre will allow Glanbia Ireland to expand and develop its product ranges made from top quality milk and grains supplied from over 5,800 family farms in its catchment area. While the customer-focused R&D Centre will allow colleagues there to showcase our expertise to customers from across the world, enhancing our relationships with some of the world’s leading brands and consumers.
The state-of-the-art facility is integrated into the dairy processing sites in Ballyragget, and it brings GI’s R&D team under the one roof for the first time, including food scientists, nutritionists, process engineers, a development chef, an analytical team and others.
On his visit, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, said: “An investment such as this by Glanbia Ireland adds significant value to milk and grain. Innovation here is assisting Irish agriculture to adapt to the numerous challenges facing farm family suppliers and agriculture in general. As we face into a decade of change for our great sector, the cornerstone of our development will be cutting edge research, development and innovation.”
Glanbia Ireland CEO, Jim Bergin, said the investment marks an important milestone in Glanbia Ireland’s strategic and sustainability journey. “Our Innovation Centre is home to a team of experts who are passionately researching the worlds of dairy and plant. They include scientists, nutritionists, sensory gurus, development chefs and process technology experts. “The facility will allow for faster new product development and prototyping at a higher standard. It will significantly improve our ability for engagement and co-development of products with our customers, who we can now welcome to design prototypes and taste tests.”
Watch the video of Minister McConalogue’s visit below, giving you an inside view of the new Innovation Centre and some of its capabilities.
SETTING A NEW COURSE
SETTING A NEW COURSE
Jim Bergin, CEO Glanbia Ireland and Glanbia Co-operative Society Limited and John Murphy, Chairman Glanbia Co-operative Society Limited talk to Overherd about the new Co-op transaction
Firstly, Jim, John, thanks very much for taking the time to speak with Overherd at Glanbia Ireland, this must be an extremely busy time for both of you?
Jim: I’m delighted to sit down with the team behind Overherd at Glanbia Ireland, any opportunity to discuss the new Co-op transaction with colleagues is very welcome, so thank you. Yes, it’s been an incredibly busy time, as it is for John, Sean Molloy, Pat O’Keeffe, James Brennan and Louise Hogan and many other people who have been instrumental in getting us to the point where we are now ready to seek formal approval from our farmer shareholders, and Glanbia plc shareholders. It is worth noting that the farmer facing teams are ‘flat out’ now calling all shareholders. The Co-op team lead by Niall Trainor are also fundamental to the project. It is very exciting as we approach the SGM on the 17th of December.
John: It certainly has been busy, but it has also been a very exciting time for me and my fellow board-members. A full Co-op ownership model is something I’ve strongly believed for many years to be the right direction for Glanbia Ireland. As Chairman I’m honoured to work on behalf of Glanbia Co-op, GI employees and shareholders to achieve our ambition to become one of the leading Co-ops in Europe.
As the saying goes, timing is everything in life – what makes now the right time for Glanbia Co-op to become the full owners of Glanbia Ireland?
Jim: Since the creation of Glanbia Ingredients Ireland in 2012 and the lifting of Milk Quotas in 2015 we’ve seen exponential growth in our business. This growth continued with the creation of Glanbia Ireland in 2017 under our existing joint venture model and has led to investment in the growth in our business to the tune of €343 million. Our business model has served us well through this growth period and has helped us expand in line with the growth ambitions of our Suppliers. In relation to timing, the Co-op initiated their strategic review of its business earlier this year and the proposal to acquire the Glanbia plc shareholding in GI arose from that process and was positively received by the plc. Collectively we feel the time is right now to allow the two organisations to focus on their respective strategies and forge their own positive paths into the future for the benefit of all. A Co-op model is a great model for the future as we work ever closer with our farm families on sustainability and great Irish dairy credentials.
Could you explain to us what a Co-op business model looks like and how it’s different from the current structure.
John: Day to day, very few people will notice any changes at all, the farmers’ milk will be collected, and our products will be produced and sold as usual. What will change is how value is distributed across the business, for example, as the Co-op will be wholly owned by our farmer members, there will no longer be a dividend paid to the Glanbia plc which means we can return greater value to our Suppliers. Through the creation of an Investment Fund, we will be able to pursue new opportunities for the Co-op, with the aim of driving higher returns for Members and new opportunities for everyone. Another change is the way in which the new Co-op’s board will be structured, we’ll be moving from having two boards to just one.
With the new Co-op being formed, this means we’ll no longer be known as Glanbia Ireland. Can you tell us what this means for the identity of our business?
Jim: As most colleagues will have heard by now, we will indeed have to change our company identity. This is of course a significant change and I’m well aware that we are very attached to the Glanbia brand. The development of a new identity is already underway. Our new identity is a really exciting opportunity to represent ourselves in a new way, while staying true to our current values and mission, and creating a new vision for the future. Our future identity will continue to represent who we are as a business, rooted in our Irish heritage while reflecting the communities we operate in and serve across the world.
Glanbia Ireland recently launched its new sustainability strategy ‘Living Proof’. Will our green credentials be strong in the new Co-op?
John: There’s been some very hard work done by a large number of people in GI in developing Living Proof, and I was delighted to be part of the sustainability strategy launch earlier this year. That hard work and the considered insights behind the strategy will form a key part of the Co-op’s new identity. Our family farmers are extremely conscious of protecting and enhancing the environment and are fully bought in to our current sustainability targets. We’ll continue to work collectively with employees and local communities to ensure we’ve a sustainable business model for years to come. The era of sustainability is here to stay, and the new Co-op is here to support everybody to make it happen.
As you mentioned Jim, we’ve been part of Glanbia plc for a very long time. What shape will our relationship take with them in the future?
Jim: Firstly, it’s important to note that the new Co-op will be the largest shareholder in Glanbia plc following the transaction, we therefore have a vested interest in the success of that business. To put it into a Euro and Cents context, a one Euro increase in the plc share price currently creates value of approximately €60 million to the Co-op. On the commercial side of things, we will continue to have strong relationships with Glanbia plc who are the biggest customer in the world for whey protein isolate. And finally, many of the services currently provided by the plc; Shared Services, Corporate Services, IT Services and Procurement will also remain in place for up to three years to ensure a smooth transition to the new Co-op. Maintaining a healthy and strong relationship with the Glanbis plc is important to the success of both businesses.
What are the next steps towards the Co-op taking full ownership of Glanbia Ireland?
Jim: The next step is Glanbia Co-op holding an online Special General Meeting (SGM) with its eligible Members on Friday 17th December 2021. At this meeting, the Co-op’s 7,000 eligible shareholders will vote on its proposal to take ownership of Glanbia Ireland and there will also be a series of votes on related resolutions on that day.
The set of proposals have the unanimous support of the Board and Council of Glanbia Co-operative Society, so we hope that Members will take the time to log on and vote. The following step towards approval of the €307 million transaction will be to seek approval by Glanbia plc’s shareholders via an extraordinary general meeting (EGM).
Thank you both for your time, do you have any final words for readers of Overherd at Glanbia?
John: Thanks for the opportunity to talk with your readers. I’d just like to reiterate how proud I am to be working on behalf of all GI stakeholders as we set a new course for the business. I have every confidence in the success of the new business model, and I look forward to seeing the Co-op evolve and grow with confidence in our ambitions.
Jim: Just to add to John’s comments, I have every confidence in our business and the people behind it. We’ve built a modern, professional business over a number of years and this level of professionalism will continue with the Co-op. There are exciting developments on the horizon with the opening of our new Innovation Centre in Ballyragget, and our planned move to a new HQ in Abbey Quarter. In addition to the Investment Fund in place as part of the Co-op transaction, we are incredibly well placed for success into the future.
Chewing the cud with… Pat Fogarty
Chewing the cud with… Pat Fogarty
Each month, we put the spotlight on a Glanbia Ireland employee and for our December newsletter, we spoke to Pat Fogarty, Head of Milk Agents and Field Sales
Pat joined Avonmore in August 1997 as a Sales Development Manager covering the North East – Meath, Monaghan & Cavan. Soon after, the company became known as Avonmore Waterford following the merger of Avonmore and Waterford Foods, “and by way of a couple of changes along the way we are now Glanbia Ireland, with more to come!”, Pat told Overherd.
“Some of our Agents specialise in Doorstep, more are 100% focused on Wholesale deliveries and sales to Foodservice and Retail Outlets, and in Rural areas we have agents who have a cross section of Retail, Food Service and Doorstep. Milk agents are out USP (unique selling point) delivering in excess of 3 million litres of milk and cream annually to our customers. We deliver to 112,000 households who receive a delivery to their doorstep on average 3 times a week and we do an additional 17,000 contract deliveries per week.”
One of Pat’s biggest (and busiest) roles is leading the Glanbia Christmas strategy. “To be honest, I’ve forgotten how many years I’ve been doing this, it’s probably about my 12th year leading what is a hugely successful cross functional performance. For the month of December every year all functions come together as one and no other FMCG company can claim the success we deliver each Christmas. It’s a very busy and challenging month, but also very enjoyable – winning together, performance matters and customer champions all rolled into one!”
Cream tops off many Christmas dinners across the county during the festive season, and the sheer volume of cream produced, distributed, sold and consumed is huge at this time of year. Pat explains that “our biggest achievement is putting cream in front of the consumer at every opportunity, be it on the homesite through additional space, extra standalone refrigeration or end space in stores, we always succeed in capturing more than our share of space and each year circa 1.2 million units of retail cream will sell and 70% of that volume will sell over a 3-day period. The amount of planning and execution involved from early October across all of our functions to bring this to life is hard to put into words. I hope I somewhat communicate my thanks each year, but I really appreciate all the effort and support from everyone involved.”
“Glanbia Ireland has become well practiced at delivering for our customers over the years and practice really does make perfect when working with the same core of people who fully understand the commitment needed to deliver on a consistent basis each year. The cross functional commitment to succeed each year is what makes the whole plan work. Everything is possible and that attitude is very evident across all areas of the business and paramount to success. The biggest compliment to the teams is that all our key customers just stand back and leave us at it and they fully trust that we will continue to deliver strong results. Roll on Christmas 2021!”
With Christmas being Pat and his team’s busiest time of year, getting a break can be difficult. “Most of my colleagues work harder and longer hours leading up to and including Christmas but the upside of that is we can enjoy our time off when the sun shines in the summer months. In the Consumer Division we have milk and cream volume to be chasing and money to be collected for the year end. However, I will still find time to enjoy a few small pieces of Christmas pudding covered in Avonmore Whipped cream or Luxury custard ……you wouldn’t think it looking at me!”
WINTERING WELL!
WINTERING WELL!
December’s here and Glanbia Ireland’s Winter Well programme has reached its mid-point with the theme of Gratitude
Being grateful for what we have is proven to boost our happiness. From important things like having a warm home and good food on the table, to putting your feet up in front of the TV at night and enjoying the occasional indulgence – we are lucky in so many ways! With indulgences in mind, Overherd at Glanbia Ireland is pleased to introduce you to the Gratitude theme’s second competition, giving you the opportunity to indulge yourself in a takeaway treat!
The nights are long and sometimes kicking your feet up and having food delivered to your door, or having someone else do the cooking for you is a nice treat, especially after a long week! So, if you’re looking to indulge in a weekend take out, Winter Well is delighted to offer you the chance to win one of three €50 Just Eat vouchers to spend where you like.
All you have to do to win is tell us in the comment section of this story (located in the email you received), what your favourite takeaway meal is and who you will share it with. Alternatively, you can send your answers to GIPeopleServices@Glanbia.ie
Giving
Winter Well’s third and final theme for 2021 is Giving. This time of year can be difficult for many people, as financial stresses combined with seasonal expectations can often place a heavy burden. It can also be an extremely difficult time for individuals and families who find themselves without a place to call home.
The gift of giving can make a big difference to peoples’ lives, while it also raises the spirits of those who give! Glanbia Ireland has chosen two well-known charities to support this festive season – the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and Focus Ireland.
St Vincent de Paul Giving Tree
SVP’s Virtual Giving Tree allows you to help a family in need in your locality by giving the gift of choice this Christmas! If you’d like to provide a gift to someone in need, please click here where you’ll be able to choose who you’d like to buy a voucher for, from boys and girls to adults and families.
Christmas Jumper Day December 17th
On December 17th, Glanbia will host a Christmas jumper day in aid of Focus Ireland, so you’ve plenty of time to get your favourite sweater out of the attic or go out and find the perfect jumper!
If you want to get in the festive spirit and wear your jumper on the day, you can donate to Focus Ireland via this link which can also be shared with friends and family. In addition, for every festive garment posted on the GI Yammer page or sent in to gipeopleservices@glanbia.ie, Glanbia Ireland will donate €2 to Focus Ireland. Finally, every picture submitted will be entered into a draw for a Christmas surprise!
Self-care
Winter Well kicked off last month with the theme of Self-Care. As the seasons change, so can our mood, which is a natural reaction to our environment. If you didn’t get the chance to see the Winter Well webinar which explains why your energy may be low at this time of year, please click on the video below. It contains some great tips on what can be done to help improve your wellbeing and increase positivity as the nights get longer.
Competition Winners!
Along with all the tips and advice on how you can Winter Well over the past few weeks, there’s been some great prizes on offer too! Congratulations to our winners…
Self-Care Lunchtime Walk Winner
Karen Tynan from Virginia who was getting her Vitamin D in with ‘Coco’ in Deerpark forest on the shore of Lough Ramor recently. A €100 Elverys voucher is on its way to you!
Late Late Toy Show Winners
Congratulations to our three Late Late Toy Show competition winners who each receive a €100 Smyths Toys voucher for submitting their comments.
- Martina Coonan, Milk Lab, Dungarvan
- Joan O’Leary, Lakedrive
- Darren Coleman, Fonthill Depot
Gratitude – Comfort of Home
Congratulations to Louise O’Brien Kenny from Ballyragget, who sent in these lovely cosy snaps at home with her dog and a hot chocolate! Thanks Louise, there’s a €100 Cushendale Woollen Mills voucher on its way to you!
Thank you to everyone who entered the competitions to date. Make sure you enter our final Gratitude competition above for your chance to win a €50 Just Eat voucher!
PRO-OATS JOINS AVONMORE RANGE
PRO-OATS JOINS AVONMORE RANGE
Avonmore Pro-Oats is the latest addition to the Avonmore Protein Milk product range
Pro-Oats is an exciting new development for the Avonmore brand as it contains 27g of protein but also has 23g of gluten-free oats per 500ml serving, with a smooth texture and tasty vanilla flavour. Pro-Oats is perfect for those who exercise in the morning, look to hit their protein goals and want the benefit of breakfast on-the-go. The Pro-Oats campaign launch was supported by social media, digital out-of-home advertising, sampling and PR with Avonmore Protein Milks brand ambassadors Brian Fenton (Dublin Football) and Eoin Murphy (Kilkenny Hurling) at Croke Park in November.
Protein is a building block for muscles and hardworking muscles need protein for muscle maintenance and growth. Available nationwide in all main retailers.
CHEESY GRINS AT GI!
CHEESY GRINS AT GI!
Glanbia Ireland Cheddar sweeps the boards at the International Cheese and Dairy awards
Glanbia Ireland Cheddar proved to be a top hit with the judges at the recently held International Cheese and Dairy Awards, scooping six Gold, four Silver and four Bronze medals. Employees at the Ballyragget and Wexford Cheese plants have cheesy grins for a reason – they were awarded the medals along with three prestigious trophies at the international awards held in Staffordshire UK.
The accolades were received across all categories – mild, medium, mature, extra mature and vintage. The Glanbia Ireland plant in Ballyragget won the prestigious Kerrygold Cup, which is awarded annually for the best Irish Cheddar. The winning block was selected from the Kilmeaden Fillet Range. The Wexford plant was awarded the DSM Trophy for the best Vintage cheddar, along with the ICDA award for the best overseas creamery block.
Gerry Warren, Glanbia Ireland Cheese Grader said: “We are delighted to have achieved such a strong performance at this year’s international awards. We were up against stiff competition from both Irish and UK cheddar producers.
“Great credit is due to the talented staff in both plants. They take great pride in their work and their attention to detail ensures that we deliver top quality cheddar to our much-valued customers.
“The judges found that the texture and flavour of our cheddar really stood out and this is down to the quality of the milk which we receive from our dedicated dairy farmers.
“Management and staff in both plants should also be applauded, together with everyone in the supply chain who continue to produce and deliver top quality products in these difficult and challenging times.”
OVERHERD SAYS THANK YOU
OVERHERD SAYS THANK YOU
As Christmas approaches, the Overherd at Glanbia Ireland team says thank you to readers
Before we wish you all the season’s best, the team behind GI’s newsletter would like to thank all of our contributors who have provided us with great insights into our business, as well as allowing us into your lives throughout 2021.
In its first full year of existence*, Overherd at Glanbia Ireland has been delivered to colleagues’ inboxes 34,036 times and when it did, 73% of you read the newsletter. We’d just like to say a BIG THANK YOU to all our readers.
During this time, our Chewing the Cud employee interview series is consistently the most clicked newsletter story, while other articles that caught your attention this year were Covid-19 One Year On, Milk Reaches Peak and Dogs of Lockdown.
Bringing you all this great content would not be possible without Overherd’s Editorial team who seek out the news and views that make GI tick each and every month.
Everyone on the team would like to wish you an enjoyable festive season and a Happy New Year. We’ll be back again with a new edition of Overherd at Glanbia Ireland in early January and we look forward to bringing you fresh content throughout 2022!
*Figures accurate for first 11 editions