179 Jobs At Dungannon Meat Firm

179 jobs are to be created at Dungannon-based Linden Foods following a £5m investment.

The meat processing company has received assistance to the tune of £520,000 from Invest Northern Ireland, under the organisation's Jobs Fund.

Speaking during a visit to the Linden Foods, Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster welcomed the news.

She said: "This investment is very welcome news for the food industry which is a key contributor to Northern Ireland’s economy. The 179 new production and managerial positions, to be created in Dungannon with support from the Jobs Fund, will generate over £2.5m annually in additional salaries. This is a fantastic boost to the local area, the local community and to the wider Northern Ireland economy.

"Linden Foods has demonstrated a clear desire to continually innovate, maintain its reputation for quality products and retain its focus on growing export sales of its products for the retail sector. Invest Northern Ireland’s support will enable this progressive meat processing firm to recruit its new staff members quickly and capitalise on growth opportunities within the convenience food market."

The Minister continued: "To date Invest Northern Ireland’s Jobs Fund has helped create over 2,600 new jobs, providing not just much needed employment but also increasing the capacity of the businesses it has supported, allowing them to take advantage of market opportunities."

Trevor Lockhart, Chairman of Linden Foods, said: "This investment is an important part of our long term development strategy and underlines our commitment to the Dungannon area. The support from Invest NI through its Jobs Fund will allow us to create the workforce we need to meet the demand for our range of new and innovative products among export customers and enable us to cement our leading position within the meat processing industry."

(IT/CD)