larry murrin
CEO of Dawn Farms
Agriculture & Fisheries / Ireland
“We allocate long-term investment to innovation”
Dawn Farms is an export-focused leader in the global prepared food industry, providing cooked and fermented meat ingredients to the European operations of American foodservice chains. CEO Larry Murrin explains how his helps international businesses to grow.
How has the agri-food sector remained competitive?
The agri-food sector, Ireland’s largest indigenous industry, exports to 170 countries, employs one-tenth of the Irish workforce, and owes its quality to a rich history based on tradition. Innovation is key in maintaining this hard-fought competitiveness. That’s why at Dawn Farms, we allocate long-term investment to innovation and adding value to our meat products.
What makes your innovation strategy so effective?
We have food innovation experts that research and develop solutions to add value to our customers’ operations, as well as identify food trends. Solving our clients’ issues with thorough research has ensured Dawn Farms retains its position as the number one specialist exporter of cooked-meat ingredients outside of the US. Moreover, being a leader in food safety, sustainable agri-food programs and business policies continues to attract clients to work with us as supply chain partners. These are all reasons why we export 90 percent of our products to 44 countries in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and will reach 50 by 2018.
How do you ensure sustainability?
Dawn Farms is a founding member and enthusiastic supporter of Ireland’s ‘Origin Green’ sustainability label: the first national, comprehensive, evidence-based program of its type in the world. This business-to-business scheme increases client and consumer confidence, ensuring that their food is of the highest all-round quality. We are confident that this hallmark gives Ireland and our customers a leadership edge in the sustainability agenda.
