Lidl opens massive distribution centre in Mullingar after €80m investment
Lidl Ireland has today (Friday) officialy opened its newly extended Mullingar Regional Distribution Centre, which the company said was "equivalent in size to approximately nine Aviva stadiums".
The massive facility at Robinstown, north of Mullingar town centre, was officially unveiled after an €80 million investment.
In addition to being Lidl's largest distribution centre on the island of Ireland, it is now one of the Lidl Group's largest in the world.
Some 1,000 jobs were supported during construction of the centre, and the Lidl said the extension had increased the permanent workforce there by 100.
Lidl said the expansion meant it was now employing nearly 400 people in Westmeath across its distribution centre and three stores in the county.
The expansion of the Mullingar centre included the addition of almost 3,000 solar panels to the roof of the facility, enough to power more than 218 homes each year.
Welcoming today's opening of the revamped centre, local Fine Gael Minister of State Peter Burke described it as "a momentous occasion" for the Mullingar area.
"I am honoured to be here today to officially open the building, and I commend Lidl for their commitment to our local community and for their support of Ireland's green agenda," he said.
"I am confident that this investment will have a positive impact on the region, and I look forward to witnessing its continued growth and success."
Also speaking at the official opening, Alan Barry, Chief Development Officer at Lidl Ireland & Northern Ireland, said: "We are delighted to officially open our new state-of-the-art facility today as evidence of our ongoing investment and commitment to the Irish food sector and to Westmeath.
"The newly expanded distribution centre will now be Lidl’s largest distribution centre on the island, equivalent in size to approximately nine Aviva stadiums.
"This investment in Mullingar supports Lidl’s growing footprint of stores nationwide and is in line with our ongoing €550 million three-year expansion plan, which we first announced in 2021."
Originally built in 2008 to service stores in the North Dublin, Midlands, and Northwest of the country, the Mullingar facility has expanded over the past ten years to keep up with the retailer’s growing footprint.
The expansion opened today created nearly 1,000 local construction jobs during the construction phase to extend the facility by 15,000 sq metres, bringing the total size to 62,000 sq metres.
Operating 24 hours a day, the warehouse can hold approximately 42,000 pallets at one time, an increase of 10,000 pallets due to the extension.
Speaking at the opening, the Mayor of the Mullingar Kinnegad Municipal District Cllr Hazel Smyth said that Lidl's "continued investment in Mullingar is warmly welcomed, in terms of the jobs it's creating, in terms of the support to our local suppliers and all of the ancillary benefits which come with that too".
She also praised Lidl for the "great work it is doing in terms of renewable energy".
Deputy Robert Troy was also in attendance at the opening. He told the Westmeath Examiner that Lidl's €80m investment in Mullingar is "most welcome".
"We have had the benefit of a thousand jobs during the construction phase and we will now have the benefit of a hundred additional jobs in the distribution hub. This is a real commitment to the midlands region, a real commitment to Mullingar.
"These are good quality jobs from a very reputable company who pay well and offer good terms and conditions to their employees. It is a really positive day for Mullingar, a really positive day for the staff who work for Lidl, and also a positive day for the 100 new staff who will commence working in the hub.
"I hope this will be a catalyst to promote Mullingar as a centre for further distribution hubs and that other companies will look to Mullingar as an ideal location."