Ballyconnell’s Crust & Crumb Announces Major Expansion with 120 New Jobs
Ballyconnell’s Crust & Crumb Announces Major Expansion with 120 New Jobs
Crust & Crumb, quietly operating as west Cavan’s largest Irish-owned employer, is making waves with an ambitious €12.5 million expansion that will create 120 new jobs for our community.
The Ballyconnell-based company, led by Chief Executive Mark McCaffrey, currently employs 282 people and manufactures ambient, chilled, and frozen dough-based products. The expansion will double the facility’s size to 80,000 square feet, creating what’s set to become Europe’s newest and most advanced pizza-making factory.
This significant investment comes on the back of a major €10 million contract with Tesco Ireland, adding five new premium pizza varieties to the 30 they already produce for the retailer. The partnership has seen remarkable 35% year-on-year volume growth in 2024.
For Ballyconnell families, this expansion represents real opportunity. The company plans to employ approximately 400 people within the next year – a transformative impact for our town and surrounding areas. It’s particularly encouraging to see the Corporate Park, once a reminder of Celtic Tiger failures, now thriving as a hub of genuine, sustainable employment.
Mr. McCaffrey’s journey demonstrates remarkable resilience. His 2018 decision to invest €5 million (with Enterprise Ireland support) to establish the Cavan facility as a Brexit-proofing measure has proven prescient. The company initially planned to reach 80 staff over five years but achieved this in just 12 months.
The business operates strategically across the border: the Ballyconnell facility covers Ireland and Europe, while two facilities in Derryglin, Fermanagh supply the UK market. The company has also employed two people specifically to develop opportunities in the highly competitive North American market, with future ambitions to establish a manufacturing facility within Continental Europe to meet growing demand there.
