‘Aldi expansion drive in Ireland set to create 460 new jobs over three years’
Aldi Stores this morning announced the opening of its new Regional Distribution Centre in Mitchelstown, Co Cork, generating 160 new jobs.
The announcement brings to 460 the number of new jobs Aldi will create in Ireland over the next three years as it continues to invest in Ireland.
Aldi is currently engaged in a three-year store expansion programme that will see 20 new stores open across the country resulting in 300 new jobs.
Expansion
Commenting at the official opening, Giles Hurley, managing director of Aldi Stores Ireland’s Mitchelstown Region said: “Aldi has a strong commitment to Ireland, the Irish producers, farmers and manufacturers that supply our own-brand grocery range and our valued customers who shop at our stores every week. The opening of our second distribution centre in Ireland today marks a significant milestone for our Irish operations.
“It is a crucial step that will help Aldi deliver on our current store expansion programme, which involves opening another 20 new stores in Ireland, so we can bring our value-for-money groceries to even more towns and cities across the country. A total of 160 new jobs are being created at our new Mitchelstown facility. These are skilled positions across management, administration, warehousing and logistics. The jobs are real, sustainable and will help support families in Ireland.”
Built on a 13 hectare site, the new state-of-the-art 59,535sq m Mitchelstown Regional Distribution Centre will be Aldi’s second major distribution hub in Ireland. It features office space along with ambient and temperature controlled (chiller and freezer) warehousing facilities. With more than 70 loading bays it has the capacity to service in excess of 100 Aldi stores.
The facility will support Aldi’s continued growth and expansion throughout Ireland, primarily servicing Aldi’s stores in Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary, Waterford, Clare, Mayo, Galway, Kilkenny and Wexford. It is expected that as Aldi’s store expansion programme continues, employee numbers at the distribution centre will also continue to grow.
Grocery range
As Aldi’s store network in Ireland has grown, so too has its Irish supply base, and as a result, its Irish sourced grocery range. More than 50 per cent of Aldi’s groceries are Irish sourced, it stated.
Commenting, Niall O’Connor, group buying director Aldi Stores (Ireland), said: “The continued growth and expansion of our Irish operations is great news for our Irish farmers and producers, as we look to support their business and help them grow in tandem with ours.
“Since opening our first Irish stores we have adopted a localised approach to sourcing our product range, building long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationships with Irish producers, some of whom we have traded with for more than 10 years, such as Iverk Produce, Irish Yogurts and Callan Bacon. Our dedicated Irish buying team is always on the look-out for companies who can produce, high-quality, innovative, Irish-made products. Our door is always open to Irish producers interested in trading with Aldi.”
According to the company, Aldi has tripled its annual spend on Irish products over the past five years, helping maintain more than 20,000 jobs across the Irish food industry.
“Since 2008 Aldi has recruited some 90 new Irish suppliers, almost tripling its Irish supply base to more than 150 Irish companies. Over 50 per cent of Aldi’s supplier spend is with Irish suppliers, producers and manufacturers,” it stated.
