Culina and SHS Group announce joint venture in Ireland

The Culina Group has announced a joint venture with SHS Group Ltd that will see the formation of a new business in the Republic of Ireland and the development of a major ambient and chilled warehouse on Aerodrome Business Park, south of Dublin.

The formation of Culina SHS (Ireland) Ltd will enable Culina to provide food and drink manufacturers in Britain with a seamless supply chain solution covering the Irish market. (For details, click here to visit the website.)

Once the new 160,000 sq ft (14,850 sq m) facility is completed in January 2010, Culina will provide the warehouse management system and will use the location for the storage and distribution of products in Ireland on behalf of its customers.

“Manufacturers have long seen the potential in Ireland, but many have lacked the operational platform to take full advantage of the available opportunities,” says Culina CEO, Thomas van Mourik (pictured).

“This new venture effectively enables them to integrate Ireland into the one system, with all the strategic, tactical, commercial and operational benefits such a move brings.”

SHS Group Ltd businesses include SHS Sales & Marketing Ltd and M&P Sales & Marketing Ltd, which handle a wide portfolio of blue-chip grocery, household, chilled, foodservice, OTC and healthcare brands including Tropicana, Youngs and Colgate-Palmolive – which the company has worked for since its inception in 1975.

Michael Howard, managing director, SHS Group, said: “This new joint venture with Culina underlines our commitment to best in class FMCG services in Ireland, and ensures we are well placed for future growth.

‘The new facility is a huge boost for our Ireland business, paving the way for increased capability for our existing customers and ensuring our sales and marketing proposition is attractive to new brand owners as well.”