Success in Monaghan has not been confined to the GAA fields in recent times. Mark Goodman, the Boning Hall Manager at AIBP Clones, tells the Monaghan Yearbook about a massive new investment expected to create up to 200 jobs at the Clones facility - and an ambitious new premium beef brand, Drumlin Gold. AIBP Clones is one of the fastest-growing companies in County Monaghan, with many new jobs created in 2007 and another significant injection of employment planned in 2008. AIBP has six factories in the Republic of Ireland, all subsidiaries of Ireland's largest and longest-established beef processing group, Irish Food Processors (IFP), which extends to Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom and employs approximately 4000 people. The Clones plant, managed by George Mullan and currently employing approximately 185 people, is divided into three sections: an abattoir which processes approximately five per cent of the national kill each year, a 6,000-ton capacity cold store in the stewardship of Hugh Cullen, and an ultra-modern deboning unit. The latter facility, under the guidance of Boning Hall Manager Mark Goodman, was subject to major new redevelopment completed at a cost of ?10m in 2007, and the new system in place, described as a world-class added value beef processing facility, represents a milestone for beef processing in Ireland and gives AIBP a decided advantage over traditional and less efficient beef boning methods. Mark is pleased by the leaps forward made by the company in recent times, and energized by the company's future plans, with significant new employment expected to be created in 2008 as part of an ongoing ?10m redevelopment and the Drumlin Gold brand of prime beef currently being rolled out to premium markets throughout Europe. Detailing the advancements made in recent times, in particular the state-of-the-art deboning unit and traceability technology, Mark is justly proud. He says: "At AIBP Clones, we now have one of the most modern and high-tech deboning facilities in Europe, with a unique system for traceability - the only one in the British Isles - which allows us to trace every individual piece of meat, not just to the herd or farm from which it came, but to the animal. In most cases, DNA testing is required to do that, but the system in place here means that DNA is not necessary." It is over 50 years since AIBP's parent company Irish Food Processors (IFP) was established by Mark's father, the renowned entrepreneur Larry Goodman, and the firm has flourished steadily during that time. In addition to the six AIBP units in the Republic of Ireland - at Bandon, Cahir, Nenagh, Waterford and Rathkeale, as well as Clones - IFP possesses 30 processing plants in the United Kingdom and Ireland and now boasts a turnover in excess of ?1bn per annum. The Clones branch of AIBP has grown steadily in recent times and is quickly becoming one of the key employers in County Monaghan. In 2007, following the completion of the second stage in the company's ?10m three-phase development, 85 jobs were created at the plant's deboning facility, and that figure is expected to rise to close to 200 before the end of 2008. One of the central facets of AIBP's mission statement is a commitment to innovation with new products and methods, and it has certainly met that pledge with the launch of its latest project, Drumlin Gold. An ambitious new venture which aims to market and distribute local produce to high-end markets in Ireland, the UK and throughout Europe, Drumlin Gold is expected to be a principal factor in the anticipated future success of AIBP Clones. The Drumlin Gold concept, a new premium beef brand created in order to supply prime beef to the upper spheres of the food market at home and abroad, is impressive in both its commitment to sourcing local produce of an exceptional standard and the breadth of its Europe-wide aspirations. A particular emphasis is to supply prime Monaghan beef to top hotels and restaurants both in Ireland and on the continent, and Mark is understandably excited by the project. "All Drumlin Gold beef is subject to a unique, patented maturation and ageing process to give it a taste of distinction," says Mark. "Drumlin Gold is designed to market local beef throughout Europe, selling it on its taste and quality. It's sold to registered brand agents and the agent will target top restaurants, hotels and butchers throughout Ireland and Europe. It's a unique way of selling beef." AIBP is set to develop the Drumlin Gold brand exponentially in the near future, with an extensive marketing outlay planned on a range of advertising to increase brand awareness in Ireland and further afield. Among the avenues under consideration is point-of-sale marketing, which aims to have point-of-sale material on every butcher's counter in Ireland, while AIBP Clones will also produce brochures to advance brand visibility. Plans to introduced a range of "table-talkers" - table-top signs carrying the Drumlin Gold logo in various eateries and restaurants - are under discussion, while another venture in the pipeline is a direct online butchery, which would represent a major new development designed to capitalise on the reach of the internet. The continued development of the brand will be central to the ongoing success of AIBP Clones, while the company is committed to sourcing beef produce from local farmers and suppliers. Mark says: "The focus is to work with local farmers to market cattle in bone-in and boneless formats to premium markets throughout Europe. We are extremely focused on the future of Drumlin Gold, and committed to our partnerships with local farmers and producers to bring Drumlin Gold to premium markets throughout Ireland and the wider European continent." The success of AIBP Clones has been mirrored by the county football team's progress on the GAA fields in recent times, with Monaghan reaching the Ulster final and the All-Ireland quarter-finals in 2007. Both the Clones firm and the county's Gaelic football supporters will hope that success continues unabated in 2008 and beyond. Tweet

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