Moy Park production director Eric Reid retires

- Published: 12 May, 2010

Moy Park production director Eric Reid has retired from his position at the company, following 45 years of service.

Son of a poultry farmer, Reid joined Moy Park in 1966 and will now take a consultancy role to support the business for key strategic projects.

Early on in his career, he led a new model of poultry production, based on a partnership between farmers and the processors, which was said to provide the basis for sustainable growth.

He said: “The industry has changed significantly during my time at Moy Park. When I started we processed 60,000 birds a week and now we process 3.5m a week.

The outlook for the chicken industry is very positive – chicken is a great source of protein and is affordable, so I think it will be central to Europe’s food security.”

In the mid-1970s, under Reid’s guidance, Moy Park moved out of egg production, but continued investing in broilers, while in the early 1980s, the decision was taken to move the company into the fresh chicken market rather than just the frozen sector.

In 2008, Reid took a senior advisory role through the acquisition by Marfrig.

Reid added: “I have no doubt that Moy Park, under Nigel Dunlop’s leadership, will continue to thrive and will be a big part of Europe’s poultry production industry.

"To be honest, part of me would love to do another 40 years at Moy Park, but I look forward to spending more time with my wife, two children, five grandchildren and pursuing the other interests.”

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