PARIS: Food manufacturer and distributor Linwoods in Armagh is celebrating half a century in business with a £500,000 investment.
The company, which has diversified into health and super foods alongside its original dairy operation, is spending the money on new technology, packaging and an extended bakery product range.
The company was founded in 1965 by John Woods, who still runs the business.
Marketing and sales manager Joanne Hayden said: “The Linwoods brand is very much a household name, and our breads and baked goods have been pivotal to that positioning.
However, we are mindful that the bakery sector is highly competitive, and we recognise the importance of continuous improvement and investment.
Investing over £500,000 in new bakery technology has enabled us not only to extend our bakery range, but also to refresh its image with a major rebrand.”
The shop on Armagh’s Monaghan Road where it all started is still open today.
Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph earlier this year, Mr Woods reminisced about how the company got started.
Myself and two of my brothers registered Linwoods as a trademark in 1965,” he said.
But the business was actually started by my father, also called John, back in the 1930s.
He began by collecting eggs from nearby farms, and after the war, as well as running a farm himself, he opened a small grocery, animal feed and hardware store on the Monaghan Road, outside Armagh.”
