DUBBO Chamber of Commerce and Industry is set to host executive chairman of Bega Cheese, Barry Irvin, at its breakfast on March 18.
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The breakfast will be held at the Savannah function room at Taronga Western Plains Zoo, starting at 7am.
After a period of time in the banking industry Mr Irvin returned to his dairy farming roots in the Bega Valley in the early 1990s.
He immediately became involved with the Bega Co-operative Society where he became chairman in the year 2000.
When Mr Irvin joined the business the co-operative operated from a single manufacturing site, produced 3500 tonne of cheddar cheese, sold only in the domestic market and employed about 80 people in total.
While the Bega Cooperative has a long history stretching back to 1899, it was in the last 10 years that it has truly taken its place in the Australian dairy industry.
Today the organisation is a publicly listed company and at the forefront of continuing development and rationalisation within the Australian dairy industry.
The Bega Cheese group of companies now has domestic and international sales exceeding $1 billion, produces approximately 210,000 tonnes of cheeses, milk powders, infant formula and nutritional products and exports to more than 40 countries around the world.
The group now employs about 1700 people.
Mr Irvin has led the team that has built the Bega Cheese business, through acquisition and organic growth, and then cemented a number of long-term key business relationships.
Bega Cheese's development strategy sees it firmly positioned in the top five dairy companies in Australia and is the largest listed dairy company on the ASX.
Mr Irvin has a long affinity with the dairy farmers supplying the company and a firm belief in the value of strategic vision and stability being enhanced through shareholders and staff sharing a long-term history and corporate memory of the organisation.
Mr Irvin was recently given the high honour of being made a member of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his services to the dairy industry and children with disabilities.
He was also named NAB Monash University Agribusiness Leader of the Year in 2009 and Rabobank Agribusiness Leader of the Year in 2011.
He was appointed to the Prime Minister's Business Advisory Council in 2013.
Tickets to the breakfast are $33 for chamber members and $49 for non-members.
RSVPs must be made before 5pm on March 16 at dubbochamber.com.au.
