Some 200 jobs are to be created over the next five years in a new purpose-built retail food-packaging facility in Drogheda, Co Louth.
Hilton Foods Ireland announced plans for the new facility which will be dedicated to serving Tesco's growing retail business throughout Ireland.
The proposed state-of-the-art packaging plant represents an investment of €10 million by the Hilton Food Group and will be located on a four-acre site at Newtown, outside Drogheda.
Recruitment will start early next year, and the facility will have its own in-house training. Employment in the first year will reach 100, building up in stages to 200 employees within five years.
The Hilton group chief executive, Mr Robert Watson, said the new Drogheda facility, for which the company has submitted a planning application, would be a further strengthening of the long-standing supplier partnership the with Tesco.
"This investment will benefit Tesco customers throughout Ireland by enhancing the quality, range and availability of Tesco 100 per cent Irish fresh meat offer," he said.
Hilton Ireland plans to begin work on the 4,000 sq m facility this summer. The plant will be equipped with the most modern processing technology currently available.
"We are grateful for the support and encouragement from Drogheda Borough Council and Enterprise Ireland in our search for a suitable location.
"We are delighted to be able to bring Ireland's most modern food-preparation and packing plant to this area," said Mr Watson
Hilton Food Group comprises a number of companies, all of which are involved in food-processing and packaging for leading supermarkets and foodservice outlets across Europe.
These include Tesco, McDonald's Restaurants and Albert Heijn.
The group has processing plants in Ireland, Northern Ireland, England and Holland and currently employs a total of 1,700.