Competitive new dairy entity 'Arrabawn Tipperary' formalised at inaugural board meeting

Ireland’s newest co-op, Arrabawn Tipperary Co-operative Society, has been formally established at its inaugural board meeting today, consolidating the future of dairying for over 1,400 dairy farmers.

The meeting, held in Nenagh, followed separate meetings of the boards of outgoing merging co-ops, Arrabawn and Tipperary, on Wednesday when the merger terms were formalised.

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The society, which has a combined history of over 200 years in dairying, will be owned and controlled by over 4,800 members. More than 1,400 farmers across 16 counties, will supply 750 million litres of milk annually with projected annual turnover of in excess of €700 million.

The inaugural board meeting saw the appointment of a founding Chairman, board members and executive. Kilcommon, Co. Tipperary farmer Edward Carr was appointed inaugural Chair of the Co-op, with outgoing Arrabawn CEO Conor Ryan appointed as CEO. Other appointments included Killimor, Co. Galway farmer Barry Donnelly as Vice-Chairperson and Billy Walsh, Toomevara to the role of Company Secretary. Kevin Murray from Templederry and Eoin Doorley from Birr were also appointed to the new board’s management committee.

The new society will deliver substantial benefits for its members, emerging as a strong competitor in both national and international markets.

The new co-op will include:

• Two primary ingredient manufacturing facilities at Nenagh and Tipperary, processing almost 900 million litres of milk products annually
• 15 agri trading stores, including flagship facilities at Nenagh, Tipperary Town and Athenry.
• One of Ireland’s leading feed brands, Dan O’Connor Feeds
• French based cheese production facility, Tippagral

The new entity not only brings together two modern and efficient manufacturing facilities but also diversifies the combined portfolio, ensuring resilience in fluctuating markets.

The merger will also help underpin the significant investment undertaken at both processing facilities across the past decade through heightened efficiencies across the plants and the Society’s wider operations, enhancing the new co-op’s competitive edge in the market and ultimately helping to deliver a sustainable and competitive milk price.

Chairman of Arrabawn Tipperary Co-operative Society Edward Carr said, “Today is an historic day for our members, for staff and for dairy processing in Ireland with the formation of our new co-op. This merger is a growth opportunity, and a natural coming together and consolidation of two neighbouring co-ops to create a more resilient and dynamic future for its members.”

He continued, “It is also a tribute to the founding fathers of the various Co-ops that have combined over the past century and more, to ultimately create Arrabawn Tipperary Cooperative Society. Our job now as a board is to honour that legacy by building towards the future with the creation of a competitive new force in Irish dairying.”

CEO of the new entity Conor Ryan said, “This is a pivotal day for dairying across our entire catchment, from the west to the south-east of Ireland. A huge amount of work has gone into this over the past nine months and it’s right that we pay tribute to all those who contributed on both sides for their commitment to make this merger happen.

“The merger is a natural evolution for both co-ops and sets us up positively for the future, enabling us to meet the market fluctuations that will inevitably come our way. We now set about ensuring the best possible transition into this new entity and look forward to delivering the growth and efficiencies that will create and sustain a competitive future for the co-op and its members.”