Ornua | Due diligence and dairy product innovation strategy

The problem

The client sought assistance in the development of a business plan for an existing food trading business and start-up cheese processing plant in Saudi Arabia. The client wished to establish the feasibility for developing the business as part of the application for an industrial license.

The solution

Phase 1 involved the sourcing, due diligence and acquisition of a strategic food processing/distribution business with the capacity to expand and develop its product range and sales. Phase 2 followed on with the development of a full corporate and operational business plan and an application for SIDF funding for an innovation-led cheese processing plant start-up venture in Saudi Arabia.

For Phase 1, Farrelly Mitchell’s project deliverables included the identification and shortlisting of suitable targets (off-market) that met agreed investment criteria, the development of robust business valuation methodologies, initial and advanced commercial and technical due diligence and the project management of the transaction process between client, seller and third parties.

Phase 2 involved supporting the implementation of the product innovation strategy to produce key cheese product items to serve local market tastes and requirements and replace imports.

Deliverables included a market review and environmental study, current and future supply/demand movements and impacts from government and geopolitical sources, growth metrics including population and affluence, dietary trends, competitor analysis and current product/brand, positioning in the market, pricing trends and margin analysis, product mix optimisation, market studies and a SIDF application.

The results

Farrelly Mitchell completed a detailed market review, technical, financial and environmental studies for application to the SIDF and successfully project managed the entire end-to-end application and communication process with SIDF. A comprehensive corporate business plan was also prepared and fully implemented by the company. A new factory has been constructed and SIDF funding was approved for full drawdown.

Client endorsement

We retained Farrelly Mitchell to support us in the development of a business plan for an existing food trading business and a startup cheese processing plant in Saudi Arabia.

This work was an important part of our evaluation and feasibility process, and also formed part of the application for an industrial license for the new factory.

— Joe Collins, Business Development Director, Irish Dairy Board