Investment in the beef processing and packing facility at Felinfach, near Lampeter, which is expected to be operational by February next year, has been supported by a £1.8M grant from the Welsh government.
The news was announced on December 18 by Welsh economy minister Edwina Hart on a visit to Ceredigion.
“I am delighted that support from the Welsh government ensured this investment came to Wales and will create jobs in the rural economy,” said Hart. “It is good news for the Welsh food industry, the farming community and Ceredigion.”
She said the move would help offset the negative impact of hundreds of job losses at electronics giant Sharp, announced earlier this week.
Investment will ‘spread prosperity’
“This investment supports Welsh government policies and initiatives to increase added-value processing of agricultural produce to ensure the benefits are retained in Wales and help create jobs and spread prosperity.”
Hart also welcomed news that Dunbia was planning to set up a training schedule and skills development programme for its staff in the region.
Jonathan Young, the company’s group human resources director, said: “This is a really exciting opportunity for Dunbia and we are looking forward to building a talented and enthusiastic team at Felinfach that will share our passion for growth and our focus on quality, value and success for our customers.
‘Proud’
“We want to see our people progress and Dunbia’s culture of offering employees training to help them achieve their full potential is instilled throughout the business and is something we are proud of.”
Dunbia, which has its headquarters in Dungannon, Northern Ireland, previously used the Felinfach factory as an interim lamb processing site while its Llanybydder site underwent a £12M redevelopment between 2011–2013.
That investment and expansion was also supported by the Welsh government, safeguarding 268 jobs and creating a further 75 roles, and was also driven by business with Sainsbury.
Dunbia employs more than 3,000 staff at 12 sites in the UK and Ireland. It supplies all the major UK multiple retailers as well as export markets in Europe and the Far East.