SUPERMARKET CHAIN Asda has gone into partnership with a Co Tyrone butchery business in a deal which could create at least 100 new jobs across Northern Ireland.
Asda announced yesterday it was launching a new in-store concession concept with Dungannon-based McGee’s Butchers.
Under the partnership McGee’s, which already runs independent outlets in a number of shopping centres, will take over responsibility for the butchery counter in the Asda outlet at Westwood in west Belfast – rebranding it under the McGee’s logo.
The move will create five new jobs at the supermarket with Asda staff being offered the chance to transfer and the firm looking at rolling out the concession to other supermarkets within its Northern Ireland network. Designed to complement the existing pre-packed meat range in each supermarket, Asda said the McGee’s concession responded to customer demand by offering value-added, farm-quality assured meat, sourced from NI farmers – with a significant proportion coming from McGee’s own farming business in Dungannon.
* Human resources firm Kenexa said it will expand its European operations by opening an office in Dundalk, Co Louth, which will create up 30 jobs by the end of next year. The US company, which has 33 offices in 18 countries, said: “Dundalk is an ideal location, from which we’ll be able to deliver a personal, local service to our customers in Ireland as well as allow us to scale our operations to better service our customers throughout Europe.” – (PA)
