Grass and forage seed specialist Germinal has announced today (Tuesday, January 5) a “reorganisation” of its operations, which will see its relocation away from Banbridge in Co. Down.

This will see its existing production and distribution operations in Banbridge consolidated to its Co. Tipperary site, whilst its head office functions will relocate to Belfast.

Its current head office and distribution base at Banbridge will continue to operate as a satellite site for around 12 months, after which it is likely to close.

‘We feel the time is right’

Commenting on the announcement, William Gilbert, managing director of Germinal Holdings said:

Our heritage stretches back almost 200 years to our formation in Belfast in 1825 and is built on the strength of great people and knowledge.

“Following years of investment in our production and distribution facility in Co. Tipperary, which has historically only served our customers in Republic of Ireland, we feel the time is right to utilise this state-of-the-art site to serve our customers across Northern Ireland as well.

“We are also accelerating our investment in digital and e-commerce technologies, a major growth opportunity for the business. To facilitate this, we will be relocating our head office functions into Belfast.”

Dermot Campion, managing director of Germinal Ireland added:

We know that ruminant livestock farmers are seeking innovative ways of improving farm efficiency to drive profitable growth and meet the changing needs of the markets they serve.

“We are committed to driving our research knowledge and product range to help farmers maximise the opportunities ahead.

“The merging of Germinal NI into Germinal Ireland will help us achieve this, driving our sustainability agenda, removing unnecessary duplication and further improving our customer service and product quality, ensuring we can build on the high standards expected of the Germinal brand by our customers and partners.”