From our origins in Irish dairy farming to our position today as a better nutrition company, the drive to transform and perform has fuelled our evolution. Our journey has seen us expand our footprint across continents and into new markets. We’ve built world class businesses, invested in breakthrough technology and fostered strategic partnerships. And we’re continuing to grow our better nutrition business, serving exciting growth categories in health and wellbeing.
In 1964, the members of five Irish farmer co-operatives agree to join forces and become Waterford Co-operative Society Limited. Avonmore Creameries Federation follows in 1966, made up of 25 other cooperatives. A new dairy plant is built in Ballyragget, County Kilkenny, to process Waterford and Avonmore’s combined output. It’s the biggest facility of its day in Europe.
Both Waterford Co-op Society and Avonmore Creameries focus on growth, each becoming public limited companies and going on to make multiple acquisitions across Ireland, the UK, Europe and the US. These include cheese plants in Wisconsin, Illinois and Idaho, which will later form the basis of the US cheese business which grew from these roots.
Avonmore Foods plc and Waterford Foods plc merged in 1997 to form Avonmore Waterford Group (AWG) plc.In 1999 Avonmore Waterford Group rebrands, changing its name to Glanbia plc which means “pure food” in Irish.
Partnering with the Greater Southwest Milk Agency, Glanbia breaks ground in a greenfield cheese plant in New Mexico and expands its operations in Idaho. Health and wellness and the demand for nutrition are identified as key trends for the future. Glanbia enters the premix market with the purchase of it's first nutritionals company, Kortus Foods in Germany.
Aquisition of the Californian micronutrient business, Seltzer Companies Inc, builds on the purchase of Kortus Foods and strengthens Glanbia's position in the global premix market. The opening of the Clovis, New Mexico cheese plant makes Glanbia the biggest producer of American style cheddar cheese in the United States.
In 2008 a decision to vertically integrate with the acquisition of one of its customers - the US sports supplement firm Optimum Nutrition - marks Glanbia’s entry into the branded sports nutrition category. In 2011, Glanbia purchases the US sports nutrition company BSN. The acquisition cements Glanbia’s expertise in whey products, and its position as a global leader in the emerging branded sports nutrition sector.
Glanbia reshapes the business into four segments: Glanbia Performance Nutrition, Glanbia Nutritionals, Joint Ventures and Glanbia Ingredients Ireland.
Glanbia enters a period of strategic growth through key performance brand acquisitions. In 2014 Nutramino and Isopure join the growing portfolio. 2015 brings the addition of think!®, the Californian lifestyle nutrition brand with a leading range of protein snack bars to the group. 2017 adds two acquisitions : the US super greens brand Amazing Grass and the Netherlands-based Body&Fit, a direct-to-consumer channel. In 2018 Glanbia acquires the weight-management brand SlimFast.
Glanbia Nutritionals adds to its capabilities with the acquisition of ingredient solution business Watson. Construction of a world-class $470m cheese and whey facility in Michigan, MWC is underway.
The new state of the art cheese and whey facility MWC in Michigan is completed and new flavour capabilities are added with the acquisition of Foodarom.
New acquisition, PacMoore adds to Glanbia's healthy snacking capability with new extrusition technology. Glanbia Performance Nutrition expands into e-sports by adding LevlUp to the brand portfolio.
Glanbia plc completes the sale of its stake in Glanbia Ireland to the Co-operative Society, who subsequently rebrand as Tirlán, a fully-farmer owned company now completely separate to Glanbia plc. Also in 2022, the plc acquires Sterling Technology, a US-based manufacturer of dairy bioactive solutions representing a new capability in immunity solutions.
The acquisition of Pantheryx's bioactive ingredient businesss under the APS and LaBelle brands,builds on Glanbia's focus on better health solutions. Glanbia continues to evolve it's portfolio with the sale of it's European mozzarella joint ventures and Aseptic Solutions bottling facility.
Glanbia builds on its flavours expertise and acquires Flavor Producers, a leading provider of natural, organic and plant based flavours and extracts. We also announced a new operating model with three focused divisions: Performance Nutrition, Health & Nutrition, and Dairy Nutrition.
