Co Armagh agri-food group Fane Valley has bought Monaghan-based duck producer Silver Hill Foods.
Silver Hill is a cross-border operation with its main processing plant is at Emyvale but it also has farms in Northern Ireland.
The business is a long-standing supplier to Asian restaurants right across the UK.
Fane Valley, is active in the red meat, oats, and animal feed sectors among others.
Fane Valley has acquired the company for an undisclosed fee but the Silver Hill management will remain in place.
Stuart Steele, who is selling the Emyvale-based Silver Hill, said it was a “good news story for our employees first and foremost, for Emyvale and for all our growers, suppliers and customers, especially with Brexit causing uncertainty in this region”.
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Adding: “Keeping the business in Irish control and based in Emyvale was an intrinsic part of the negotiations and subsequent sale.
“Silver Hill Foods has attracted the interest of many potential overseas buyers over the years, particularly from the UK, Europe, and even Asia.”
Fane Valley CEO Trevor Lockhart said his firm was “committed to future investment in production facilities on the Emyvale site to enable Silver Hill to meet growing demand, particularly in Asian markets including new areas such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam”.
“We are excited by the growth prospects and the opportunities this will present for all stakeholders in the business including the dedicated grower base,” he said.
Silver Hill CEO Micheal Briody said the company was “confident in our product offering and the wide appeal that our duck has across existing and new markets worldwide”.
“With Brexit there is a lot of uncertainty in the food sector in Ireland, particularly around the border region. We are showing our confidence in our employees, our growers and suppliers, our customers and ultimately our belief in Silver Hill Irish duck.”
