Kerry Group

Kerry foods are the 4th division of the corporate structure of Kerry Group plc. The section has been defined in their website www.kerrygroup.com . In looking at this section in detail, we're including the companies overview of this sector but we'll also be commenting using research on their progress in the previous year 2006.

Kerry Foods is a leading supplier of added-value food brands and customer branded products to major supermarket chains, convenience stores and independent retailers across the UK and Ireland, and selected European markets.

The division has eight business units under which the company's food products and services are marketed:

* Kerry Foods Ireland * Cooked Meats & Speciality Poultry

* GB Brands * Frozen Meals & Snacks

* Direct to Store (UK) * Foodservice

* Ready Meals & Convenience Products

Kerry Foods has some 30 manufacturing facilities throughout Ireland and the UK, with an extensive distribution network in both regions. Its consumer and customer branded foods include sausage, sliced bacon, sliced meats, pastry products, ready meals, ready-to-cook products, savoury snacks, specialty poultry, cheese, cheese snacks, dairy spreads, low-fat spreads, desserts, UHT products, home-baking products, salads, sandwiches, mineral water, flavoured waters and fruit juices.

Included in it's portfolio of consumer branded products are over 20 high profile brands, many of which are category leaders in the chilled cabinet. The portfolio comprises - in Ireland; Denny, Dawn, Ballyfree, Golden Vale, Low-Low, Move over Butter, Kerrymaid, Easigold, Golden Olive, Golden Vale Churn, Easipail, Golden Cow, Kerry Spring, Charleville Cheese, Cheestrings, Attack-a-Snak, Brunchettas, Coleraine, EasiSingles, Platter Foods and Freshways - in the UK; Richmond, Wall's, Mattessons, Porkinsons, Bowyers, Lawsons, Cheestrings, Golden Bridge, Green's Homepride.

Brands

© copyright 2007 Kerry Group

Kerry Foods has achieved this position by responding creatively to the needs and requirements of a wide range of customers by matching ever-changing consumer demands, as a result of evolving lifestyle, leisure and demographic requirements.

Kerry's primary consumer food categories for example - chilled ready meals, cheese, spreads, pre-packed cooked meats, and sausage showed a vast improvement in 2006. Nevertheless difficulties in areas such as poultry and frozen foods had an impact on performance and trading profits on the Kerry foods sector of the company. From reading the interim reports we can see that sales revenue increased by 5.4% to Ђ1.82 billion but however trading profits fell by 4.5% to Ђ118m.

As expected with the ever improving UK food markets, fresh sausage sales improved with the expense of frozen. Richmond and Wall's brands (leading brands of fresh sausages) benefited highly from the 4.6% increase of fresh sausage sales in the UK. It should be noted that cleverly designed advertisements broadcasted on TV also benefited the increase in sales. As there is an improvement in Wall's sales they have designed to expand there brand development and distribution of pre-pack