Mondelez International to Expand Chocolate Crumb Capacity
Mondelez International is investing €5 million to expand its Irish chocolate crumb manufacturing plant at Rathmore in County Kerry. The investment programme, which includes the installation of a new milk evaporator, is designed to improve competitiveness by reducing energy costs and the environmental impact of the plant. Subject to planning permission, work is expected to commence in May 2014 and be completed by August 2015 when commissioning will take place.
“Rathmore has a proud manufacturing heritage and we are committed to ensuring it continues,” says Head of Manufacturing, Ian O’Toole. “This proposed investment demonstrates confidence in our manufacturing capability. This enhanced technology forms part of an overall Mondelez manufacturing strategy to drive efficiency in manufacturing processes and ways of working. The investment represents an important stepping stone for Rathmore’s competitiveness journey.”
Currently employing 86 people and sourcing about 80 million litres of fresh Irish milk annually, the factory was established in 1948. The chocolate crumb is used in the manufacturing of chocolate confectionery at the Mondelez factory at Coolock in Dublin, and is also exported to the US, Canada and the UK. Mondelez gained the Rathmore and Coolock facilities following its acquisition of Cadbury for $19.5 billion in 2010.
