• Owners BWG Foods announce €7 million investment programme in Value Centre
• Castlebar site resumes service to businesses across the West of Ireland following fire last year
November 2013 – Leading Irish wholesale and retail business, BWG Foods, has today revealed plans to invest €7 million in its national Value Centre cash & carry network over two years, upgrading and refurbishing sites around the country.
The announcement was made at the reopening of Value Centre Castlebar, which closed following extensive fire damage last year. Guest of honour An Taoiseach welcomed the investment by BWG Foods in Castlebar and its plans for elsewhere around the country.
Following a €2 million refurbishment, the cash & carry has now resumed full service to businesses across the West of Ireland and all 14 employees have also returned to the site following temporary relocation while the works were being carried out.
Speaking at the official opening, An Taoiseach Enda Kenny T.D. said: “I am delighted to welcome the investment by BWG Foods in its Value Centre cash & carry sites around the country. It is especially welcome that the Castlebar Value Centre is reopening having been refurbished after it sustained fire damage last year and its 14 employees are returning to work at the site. It is a great vote of confidence by the company in its locations across the country that it is embarking on such a significant investment programme.”
The Castlebar refurbishment is part of an on-going €7 million Value Centre investment programme. In addition to investment in its Castlebar Value Centre, BWG is also undertaking significant works at Letterkenny and Sligo, and will upgrade the Dundalk site in 2014 as part of the programme.
Leo Crawford, Group Chief Executive, BWG Group said: “Despite the challenging economic conditions, we are committed to upgrading and expanding Value Centre premises in our network. We believe sustained investment is important because it helps achieve greater efficiencies for the business, which in turn delivers an enhanced service to customers, and has a positive knock-on effect for the local areas in which we operate.”
John Moane, Managing Director, BWG Foods Wholesale division added, “We are delighted to have An Taoiseach in attendance to mark this very special occasion for Value Centre and BWG Foods. The Castlebar site is an important part of our national footprint, serving customers across the west of Ireland, and that’s why we made a decision to not only rebuild, but to significantly enhance our facilities, service and product offering. We feel our customers, staff and the wider business community will stand to benefit from this investment.”
Located in Moneen Industrial Estate, Castlebar, Value Centre has been in operation for over thirty years. The refurbished site has an improved lay-out, making it more user-friendly for staff and customers and ensuring the right range is available at the right price for all customers, whether hospitality, licensed or retail.
With 22 branches in locations across Ireland, Value Centre is the leading cash & carry wholesaler with the largest branch network in Ireland. Value Centre is owned and operated by the Wholesale Division of BWG Foods. The Wholesale Division of BWG Foods is comprised of Value Centre, XL retail group as well as BWG Foodservice – a nationwide, multi-temperature, full-line foodservice business.