Animex creates 1,000 jobs with new meat processing plant
The country’s state-run Agricultural Real Estate Agency (ANR) is currently negotiating the sale of a land plot of as much as 400,000sq m to the Polish firm. Should the deal come through, Animex Foods will launch construction work on the new plant shortly.
“We have ongoing talks with this firm,” the Mayor of Żelazków Sylwiusz Jakubowski told local daily Głos Wielkopolski. “The company is interested in buying a land plot of 40 hectares to build a production facility, which is expected to hire more than 1,000 employees.”
Jakubowski said that Animex Foods was currently evaluating three potential locations for its proposed plant in the municipality.
The amount of the planned investment in Żelazków was not disclosed by the Polish meat processor.
New jobs
The Polish Treasury and state-run entities own land in various parts of the country, and many investments are enabled by the sale of state-owned land on preferential terms in exchange for creation of jobs.
Animex Foods owns nine plants in various parts of Poland. These include facilities in Morliny, Szczecin, Starachowice, Ełk, Suwałki, Dębica, Opole, and two plants in Iława, according to data from the firm. Animex Foods says its product range includes a wide range of processed pork and poultry meat products, such as sausages, frankfurters, chicken wings, hams, Poland’s traditional kabanos smoked pork sausage, as well as ready-to-eat, smoked and marinated products.
The Polish meat processor is based in Morliny, in Poland’s northern region. Animex Foods has been active in the country’s meat processing industry since 1951, when it was established as a state-run company. In 1994, the Polish Ministry of Treasury established Animex as a limited company and, in 1999, a majority stake in the company was acquired by US Smithfield Foods which purchased a number of food industry players in the Polish market.
Robust export sales
In addition to the domestic market, Animex Foods said it exports its output to more than 40 countries worldwide. These include a number of EU member states, the US, Canada, Panama, Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, Georgia, Armenia, and various countries in central Africa.
Animex Foods markets its products under a number of brands. These comprise Morliny, Berlinki, Krakus, Mazury Ełk, Yano and Morlinki. The company’s facilities are ISO 9001 and 14001, HACCP, IFS and BRC certified, and operated by some 8,300 employees, which makes Animex Foods the largest employer in Poland’s food sector, according to figures from the firm.
The Polish meat processor said it reported annual revenues of about PLN4bn (€910m) per year, of which an estimated 25% to 30% were generated by export sales.
Żelazków is located about 218km from the country’s capital Warsaw.
