Tayto Northern Ireland, which produces crisps in County Armagh, has bought a snack factory employing 25 people in Lancashire.
The company, which at this stage only has historic links with Tayto Ltd, has also acquired a 32-acre former site in Lurgan, County Armagh, which it intends to develop as a central distribution depot for the whole of the UK.
Group sales manager John McQuaid said the acquisitions represented a significant investment for the family-owned business and would facilitate an ambitious growth strategy, building on a rapidly increasing market share in both domestic and export markets.
McQuaid said that in Northern Ireland the crisps and snack market is worth £72.8 pounds a year and is growing by 2.4% annually, while the British market is worth over £2bn.
The firm said that while its main focus is now on breaking into the British market, it remained fully committed to its Northern Ireland base and would continue to source most of its potatoes there.
