Two of the biggest names in broiler production - Moy Park and Aviagen (Ross) - have been celebrating one of the longest partnerships in the poultry industry, having worked together for 50 years.
Moy Park began life as a modest farming company called Moygashel during the Second World War. 1960 saw the start of their relationship with Ross, with the signing of a franchise agreement for the whole of Ireland with Chunky Chicks - the original name of Ross Breeders.
This involved the importation of parent stock from Scotland into Northern Ireland, and was the start of a relationship that still exists today, with Moy Park importing grandparent stock and supplying Ross parent stock to customers throughout the UK, as well as on mainland Europe.
David Gibson, director of agriculture for Moy Park, said both companies have undergone huge transformations since 1960, including several changes of ownership. "However, the Moy Park/Aviagen strategic partnership has continued, and only grown stronger over this period of time."
Aviagen general manager Graeme Dear explained that Moy Park was one of the company's first customers. "Since 1994 business between the companies has increased fourfold. The mutual level of trust in each other's biosecurity and management systems means that we rely heavily on each other to supply the wider poultry market with parent stock."
To mark the occasion, Aviagen recently held a celebration dinner at Edinburgh's Prestonfield House Hotel, which was attended by twenty employees from Moy Park and ten from Aviagen.
Special recognition was given to Moy Park's Derek Burrows and David Henderson, who have both been working with Ross birds for the entire 50 years that the businesses have been in partnership. Marion Graham from Aviagen was also recognised, having recently celebrated 50 years with the company.
Aviagen is the world's leading poultry breeding company, developing pedigree lines for the production of broiler chickens under the Ross, Arbor Acres and L.I.R brand names. It employs 2000 people and has a distribution network serving customers in 120 countries.
Moy Park is Northern Ireland's largest food processing company and one of Europe's leading poultry companies, employing almost 11,000 people across 13 sites in Northern Ireland, England, France and Holland.
