3 May 2012

2 minute read

Europe

The town of Holsted in the Municipality of Vejen will be home to the slaughterhouse and the approximately 300 new jobs.

The biggest single investment in the cattle sector ever, this will be the first large cattle slaughterhouse to be established in Denmark for almost four decades.

The slaughterhouse is based on state-of-the-art principles, paving the way for optimising quality control procedures, including better utilisation of by-products and, ultimately, better meat quality.

"We have for several years reaped the benefits of investing in a top modern slaughterhouse in the Pork Division, and when looking at the upward trend in production costs in the Danish slaughterhouse industry, we have to be at the technological forefront to be competitive. The new cattle slaughterhouse will secure us that position. We also ensure that we create the highest possible value from our raw materials as well as make the most of the energy and other resources available," says Lorenz Hansen, Division Director of DC Beef.

As a result of the establishment of the new cattle slaughterhouse in Denmark, Danish Crown will be closing down the cattle slaughterhouses in Tønder and Holstebro, and the deboning departments in Skjern and Fårvang will move to the new, modern slaughterhouse. The existing head office in Herning will also move to the new premises.

400 employees in DC Beef will thus be affected by the new slaughterhouse.

The decision to go ahead with the project is based on thorough analyses and specific quotations, and Danish Crown's Board of Directors has today approved the investment to the tune of around DKK 0.5 billion.

Even though the past year has been tough and frustrating for the many employees who have been awaiting the final decision, and who will be affected by it, it is positive that we, in Denmark, are able to invest large sums to safeguard Danish jobs in the long term, says Lorenz Hansen.

Also the Municipality of Vejen has been excitedly waiting for the final decision and is now looking forward to the new workplace taking shape.

"300 new, future-proof jobs clearly mean a lot to the Municipality of Vejen. We have spent the past year planning and developing the plot for the slaughterhouse, so we are very pleased that Danish Crown has made their final decision. Both because it helps demonstrate that we are an attractive municipality for businesses and because of the other positive spin-offs," says Egon Fræhr, Mayor, Municipality of Vejen.

The slaughterhouse is expected to be ready at the beginning of 2014, but DC Beef expects to be able to relocate its head office to the new premises already in autumn 2013.

TheCattleSite News Desk