Keenan has 3,500 farming customers here in Ireland, who produce 1.25 billion litres of milk and 400,000 cattle for Ireland’s dairy and beef processing sector annually. It has a further 25,000 farming customers worldwide and company exports now account for 90% of turnover.

The company’s key strategy in recent years has centred on partnering with some of the world’s leading feed and nutrition companies. Its partners include ADM ANI in the USA, Sanders Glon in France, BOCM Pauls in Britain, Agrifirm in the Netherlands, MSG in China and Godrej in India.

The strategy has allowed Keenan to increase its penetration and customer base in these international markets.

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Keenan is also involved with over 9,000 dairy farmers worldwide and believes farmers can improve their feed efficiency by 20% by getting more from the same feed intake.

Executive chairman, Gerard Keenan, says that in Ireland farmers must use grass and grass silage as the predominant feed but adds that there are economic benefits to complement forage-based diets with supplements at particular times of the year, depending on the weather,

as well as farm circumstance.

Founded in 1978, and based in Borris, Co Carlow, the company employs 250 people.

FINANCIALS

The business recorded an operating profit of €1m for 2011, which represents a significant turnaround from the losses of €1.25m recorded in 2010. Keenan had retained profits of €8.1m and shareholder funds of €10.5m at year end.

Company loans are €11.1m and net debt to EBITDA stands at eight times with interest cover at 1.8 times.

Gerard Keenan owns 57% of the business, while his brother Noel owns 29% and James Greene owns the remaining 14% of the business.