As Horgans celebrates 50 years in business this year, the family-owned Mitchelstown food company has emerged as one of the most significant behind-the-scenes operators in the Irish grocery sector.
The company generates an annual turnover in excess of €60 million, supplies independent and major supermarket retailers through branded and private-label production, and exports to Northern Ireland, the UK and Canada. Today, approximately 65% of Horgans’ overall business is dedicated to private-label manufacturing for leading supermarket retailers, positioning the company as one of the principal behind-the-scenes suppliers within the Irish grocery market.
FULL FAMILY OWNERSHIP
A defining moment for the business came during the financial pressures of the late 2000s, when the main retail groups transitioned from direct store deliveries to centralised distribution. Initially, this had a significant impact on rising distribution costs, and rapid growth forced the company to seek external investment.
In 2007, Michael Horgan made the difficult decision to sell a 51% shareholding to Italian dairy group Castelli to stabilise and protect the future of the business. Castelli’s advice and support proved invaluable in helping the family reshape the business to meet the evolving needs of retailers. On its advice, a Horgan family member was appointed as key account manager across all retail customer groups.
More than a decade later, when Castelli itself became the target of acquisition by global dairy giant Lactalis, Michael took what the family describes as one of the biggest risks in the company’s history by buying back the 51% stake and restoring Horgans to full Irish family ownership in 2018. The move marked a major turning point for the company, enabling Horgans to accelerate investment, strengthen operations and drive the significant growth achieved in recent years.
CONTINUED GROWTH
What began as a family butcher’s shop in Mitchelstown more than a century ago has evolved into a national food business supplying retailers and foodservice providers across the island of Ireland and further afield through a combination of private-label manufacturing, wholesale distribution and branded product ranges. Despite its scale and continued expansion, the company says its focus remains firmly on long-term relationships, sustainable growth and continuous innovation within the food sector.
“For us, reaching 50 years in business is about much more than longevity; it’s about continuing to evolve,” said Michael Horgan, founder of Horgans. “Buying back the business in 2018 was a major moment for us. It gave us the freedom to shape the company’s future, invest for long-term growth, and strengthen our position as a trusted private-label partner for major retailers. Today, we’re exporting internationally, generating more than €60 million in turnover and continuing to grow while remaining fully family-owned and rooted in Mitchelstown.”
FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
Headquartered in Mitchelstown, Horgans employs 80 people, works with more than 120 suppliers across Ireland and Europe, and distributes over 1,000 products nationwide, including speciality cheeses, charcuterie, continental meats, olives, antipasti, fresh pasta, deli products and health-focused convenience foods.
Since returning to full family ownership, Horgans has significantly expanded its retail and foodservice operations, strengthened its private-label offering, invested heavily in sustainability and operational efficiency, and grown its export footprint across Northern Ireland, the UK and Canada.
The origins of the company date back to 1921, when Michael Horgan’s grandfather first opened a butcher’s shop in Mitchelstown. Michael later took over responsibility for the family business at just 16 years of age following the illness and subsequent death of his father. He subsequently expanded the company beyond traditional butchery into wholesale distribution, speciality food sourcing and retail supply partnerships, long before continental and premium food products became mainstream in Ireland.
Over the following decades, Michael and Maura Horgan travelled extensively throughout Europe, building supplier relationships, identifying emerging food trends and helping introduce speciality and artisan food products to the Irish retail market.
Today, the second generation of the Horgan family, including sons Edward and Paul, alongside daughters-in-law Claire and Cora, work across sourcing, procurement, sales, operations, HR and marketing within the business. Their middle son, Roy, who resides in London, is also involved in another area of the food industry. He developed IT technology for the retail trade and is now a director of a major French company, providing significant expertise and advice on sales and marketing trends.
The company has continued to evolve in line with changing consumer habits, with strong recent growth in premium convenience products, protein-focused foods and Mediterranean-inspired ranges. Horgans has also significantly expanded its warehouse, cheese-cutting and packing facilities at its headquarters outside Mitchelstown.
Recent years have seen substantial investment in sustainability and operational efficiency, including the installation of more than 600 solar panels at the company’s Mitchelstown headquarters, generating approximately 35% of its energy requirements.
Horgans says it has halved its carbon footprint over the past four years through investments in renewable energy, LED retrofitting, heat recovery systems and energy-monitoring technology.
