Randers, 7 september 2012

Yesterday at 1 pm, the first ground was broken for Danish Crown’s new cattle slaughterhouse in Holsted in southern Jutland. A project which will represent the biggest one-off investment ever in the cattle sector in Denmark.
  

On the 114,000-square-metre plot at Energivej 5 in Holsted, the contractor’s machinery has started the process of levelling the ground. The site is full of pent-up energy, waiting to be released. In a short time, up to 500 people will be working here to build Europe’s most modern cattle slaughterhouse. But, before they are given the go-ahead, the first ground had to be broken.

Therefore, at 1 pm, Danish Crown’s CEO Kjeld Johannesen welcomed the invited guests.

- Exactly 10 years ago, I broke the ground for the new pig slaughterhouse in Horsens, which back then represented an investment of DKK 2 billion. Today, we are taking another historical step in Danish Crown, cutting the first sod for a new cattle slaughterhouse.

Kjeld Johannesen explained that the reason for building the new slaughterhouse at a cost of approx. DKK 700 million is to safeguard the joint competitiveness of Danish Crown and Danish cattle producers in the global market.

Investing in the future
For his part, Peder Philipp, Chairman of the Beef Producer Committee and a member of Danish Crown’s Board of Directors, acknowledged in his speech that the owners and, at the end of the day, the Board of Directors, have demonstrated the courage required to invest so massively in Danish Crown’s Beef Division.

- By investing in this new cattle slaughterhouse, Danish Crown and its owners are assuming responsibility for the future. It is an investment that will be hugely significant for the Danish cattle sector, said Peder Philipp, adding that already two years after completion the new slaughterhouse is expected to strengthen the competitiveness for the owners and for Danish Crown’s exports.

After Peder Philipp’s speech, the Mayor of the Municipality of Vejen, Egon Fræhr, thanked Danish Crown for having decided to locate the slaughterhouse in Holsted. You have chosen the right place, he said, adding:

- At a time characterised by significant financial constraints, many people are taking their hats off to you because you are now building such a large facility and making such a big investment. We are looking forward to welcoming you properly in about a year's time – as a company, but in particular your employees. We very much hope that you will feel at home in the Municipality of Vejen. We will do everything in our power to ensure that you do.

Dream-like
Division Director of DC Beef, Lorenz Hansen, was the last person to speak, and unless you knew better, you might have thought that he was feeling slightly overwhelmed by the occasion. He would probably deny that, but he couldn’t hide the fact that it was a big day for him personally – and for Danish Crown.

- Breaking the ground for what will be one of the biggest and most advanced cattle slaughterhouses in Europe is like a dream come true, said Lorenz Hansen, and continued:

- It takes pluck and foresight to make investments on this scale. In approving this project, both the Beef Producer Committee and the Board have shown that they believe that the Danish beef sector and DC Beef in particular have a future. I feel immensely proud of that.

Peder Philipp, Egon Fræhr and Lorenz Hansen then each picked up a spade and broke the ground to mark the start of the momentous project.