(, ) is a
Food Company in Ireland.
It was established by the
Irish Government in
1991 to take over Irish Sugar, the
Nationalised sugar production company. 55% of the group was listed on the
Irish Stock Exchange that year, over the years additional placements have led to almost 100% of the shares now being in private hands. The exception is that the Irish Government holds a special share certificate (value EUR 1.26) in Irish Sugar Limited in order to prevent the Irish sugar quota being sold without its consent. Other businesses owned by Greencore include ''Odlum Group Ltd'' and various other convenience food related interests in the
Republic Of Ireland . Greencore is quoted on the
Irish Stock Exchange and
London Stock Exchange . Despite starting out in the sugar industry, Greencore is today the worlds largest sandwich manufacturer.
Irish Sugar Limited was established in 1926 in ,
Thurles and
Tuam and the company became ''Cómhlucht Siúicre Eireann, Teoranta'', the
Irish for ''Irish Sugar Company, Limited''.
The Thurles and Tuam factories were closed in the early 1980s after a rationalisation became necessary and the company decided to concentrate manufacture at its Carlow and Mallow factories. The
Sugar Act, 1991 privatised the entity and it became part of Greencore at that time; this act was passed as Irish Sugar had diversified beyond been a sugar manufacture company into other food products.
In
2005 Irish Sugar announced that it would close its factory in Carlow, this was carried out on
March 11 when the factory closed for the last time and ceased production in Carlow. In
March 2006 it was announced that the last remaining Irish Sugar factory would close in Mallow, and this closure will occure in May. The reason indicated for these closures has been the reform of
European Union policies on sugar which reduced the quotas and subsidies available and theirfore making its manufacture unprofitable in Ireland. Greencore says it has enough sugar to supply until November 2006, but will retain the company's "Siúcre" and "McKinney" brands thereafter, albeit as a packager and distributor rather than a manufacturer. Irish Sugar will retain its office base in Carlow.
