Kerry Group Debuts €125M Food Manufacturing Facility in Georgia

Mar 15th, 2022

(L to R): Dignitaries from the state of Georgia and Ireland attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Oliver Kelly (president and CEO, Kerry North America), Catherine Keogh (chief corporate affairs and brand officer), Kerry Philip Toomey (Kerry Group chairman of the Board), Helen McEntee, (TD, Irish Minister for Justice), Edmond Scanlon (CEO and executive director, Kerry Group), Caoimhe NíChonchúir (Consulate General of Ireland, Atlanta) and Pat Wilson (Commissioner of Georgia Department for Economic Development)

C/O KERRY

Kerry has announced the official opening of its upgraded facility in Rome, Georgia. A total of €125 million has been invested to create the state-of-the-art food manufacturing facility, which represents Kerry’s largest-ever capital expenditure investment and one of the biggest in Georgia’s history.

Dignitaries from the state of Georgia and Ireland attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony, which took place on Monday, March 14, 2022. Those in attendance at the event included the Irish minister for justice Helen McEntee, Kerry CEO Edmond Scanlon, chairman of the Board Philip Toomey, Georgia Economic Development commissioner Pat Wilson, along with state and regional elected officials.

The facility, which now employs 250 people, provides integrated taste and nutrition solutions designed to help customers meet growing consumer demand in the poultry, seafood and alternative protein markets across the United States and Canada. The 316,000-square-foot facility is part of Kerry’s sustainability strategy, Beyond the Horizon, the company has prioritized sustainability initiatives across the entire facility. This includes using 100% renewable electricity, zero waste to landfill, bulk receiving of materials, local sourcing where possible and the extensive use of energy-efficient equipment.

Additional facility highlights include:

The plant’s energy-efficient design is estimated to reduce carbon emissions by 34%.
50% of all raw materials are sourced within 150 miles of the facility and 95% are sourced within North America, helping reduce carbon emissions through the supply chain.
Added bulk storage at the site will reduce freight to the site by 25%.
And the facility will achieve zero waste to landfill (ZWTLF) this year through central recycling and a facility bailing system to optimize waste streams and maximize recycling.
Kerry employs more than 22,000 worldwide in 32 countries, with North America as the company’s largest region. In Georgia alone, there are 725 Kerry employees across four sites.

Oliver Kelly, president and CEO of Kerry in North America, said, “We are delighted to officially open this new facility which more than doubles our capacity in Rome and is now one of the most advanced and modern food manufacturing facilities in the country. The increased and changing demand from consumers for tasty, nutritious and sustainable food and beverages is driving accelerated change and reshaping the entire food industry. Investing in world-class facilities, such as this one in Georgia, allows us to ensure that we can continually work and co-create with our customers to respond to this changing demand. This world-class facility in Rome, Georgia, is just one example of our dedication to our goal of reaching over two billion people with sustainable nutrition solutions by 2030. We are very thankful for the support that we have received from the governor of Georgia’s office and we look forward to this continued partnership.”

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