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History

Rendering - a brief history

Rendering is one of the original recycling industries, and contributed to the development of a vast human food production cycle. Rendering has been carried out for many centuries, primarily for soap and candle making. It forms an integral part of the food production process, turning waste material into usable commodities. These include carbon neutral fuels, fertilisers, soap production and the manufacture of base chemicals.

In recent times, the industry has made an important contribution to the maintenance of a clean and healthy environment.

State-of-the-art technology together with strict regulation by the EU means that today's rendering operations are very sophisticated and require significant levels of investment.

History of the Ballinasloe factory

The facility in Ballinasloe was established in 1953 as Burnhouse Ireland Ltd. Its directors included Senator F.M.Summerfield, Senator M. Hearne, Mr. Frank Thornton and Dr. Jim Ryan Minister for Health. The Wilson Family took full control of the factory from 1969 to 1983 changing the name to Robert Wilson (Ireland) Ltd

Seamus Purcell followed by Seamus Gallagher operated the business from 1983 to 1994 when IAWS Group Plc took control. The facility is now part of One51 Plc.

Since taking control, IAWS Plc and One 51 have invested heavily in technology bringing the facilities in line with the most modern in the world.