Odlums Group

{{short description|Irish food processing and marketing company}} {{Infobox company | name = Odlums | logo = | logo_size = | logo_alt = | logo_caption = | logo_padding = | image = Odlums Group logo.jpg | image_size = | image_alt = | image_caption = The old logo, which was used for many years with many variations | trading_name = | native_name = | native_name_lang =  | romanized_name = | former_name = | type = Subsidiary | traded_as = | ISIN = | industry = Food processing and marketing | genre =  | fate = | predecessor =  | successor =  | founded = {{start date|1845}} in Portlaoise, Ireland | founder =  | defunct =  | hq_location = | hq_location_city = | hq_location_country = | coordinates = | num_locations = | num_locations_year =  | area_served =  | key_people = | products = | brands = | production = | production_year =  | services = | revenue = | revenue_year =  | operating_income = | income_year =  | net_income =  | net_income_year =  | aum =  | assets = | assets_year =  | equity = | equity_year =  | owner =  | members = | members_year =  | num_employees = | num_employees_year =  | parent = Valeo Foods | divisions = | subsid = | slogan =  | module =  | website = {{URL|https://odlums.ie/}} | footnotes = | intl =  }} thumb|Dublin Port Odlums Flour Mill '''Odlums Group''' is an Irish food processing and marketing company that manufactures and retails products under the Odlums name. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Valeo Foods, which is owned by Bain Capital.

==History== thumb|Odlums Mill A flour mill operated by William Odlum, one of three Odlum brothers, in Maryborough (now Portlaoise) began operation in 1845.<ref>{{cite web |author= |date=n.d. |title=About Us |url=http://odlums.ie/about/ |website=Odlums |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112173554/http://odlums.ie/about/ |archive-date=12 January 2016 |access-date=8 June 2025}}</ref> Odlum was succeeded by his two sons, William P. and Richard Odlum, and the company became known as '''W.P. & R. Odlum'''. In the early 20th century, the company operated as many as nine mills but consolidation reduced that number to the current three flour mills in Dublin, Cork, and Portarlington. The oatmeal mill in Sallins was closed at the end of 2013.

The company remained in family hands until 1988.<ref>{{cite web |author= |date=n.d. |title=History of Odlums |url=http://www.odlums.ie/Pages/Ab_History.html |website=Odlums |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071225213124/http://www.odlums.ie/Pages/Ab_History.html |archive-date=25 December 2007 |access-date=1 May 2008}}</ref> In 2007, Origin Enterprises, which previously had a 50% stake in the Odlums Group, acquired full control of Odlums from the state-sponsored Greencore Group.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hancock |first=Ciarán |date=1 August 2007 |title=Origin takes full control of Odlums in €35m deal |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/origin-takes-full-control-of-odlums-in-35m-deal-1.952241 |work=The Irish Times |location=Dublin, Ireland |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429133008/https://www.irishtimes.com/business/origin-takes-full-control-of-odlums-in-35m-deal-1.952241 |archive-date=29 April 2021 |access-date=8 June 2025}}</ref> In 2010, Batchelors, a manufacturer and retail category partner, and Origin Foods, the food division of Irish-based Origin Enterprises Plc, merged to create Valeo Foods. Origin Enterprises retained a 45% interest in the new company, and private equity company CapVest Limited, which owned Batchelors, controlled the remaining 55%.<ref>{{cite news |author= |date=10 September 2010 |title=Origin Foods & Batchelors merge to form Valeo |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2010/0910/135449-origin-business/ |work=RTÉ.ie |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250609032957/https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2010/0910/135449-origin-business/ |archive-date=June 9, 2025 |access-date=8 June 2025}}</ref> In 2015, CapVest bought Origin Enterprises out of Valeo for €86.6 million.<ref>{{cite news |last=Percival |first=Geoff |date=29 July 2015 |title=Origin Enterprises in €87m Valeo Foods exit |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/business/arid-20345152.html |work=Irish Examiner |location=Cork, Ireland |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224112305/https://www.irishexaminer.com/business/arid-20345152.html |archive-date=24 February 2021 |access-date=8 June 2025}}</ref>

CapVest sold Valeo Foods to Bain Capital in 2021.<ref>{{cite press release |author= |date=10 May 2021 |title=Bain Capital acquires Valeo Foods |url=https://www.baincapital.com/news/bain-capital-acquires-valeo-foods |publisher=Bain Capital |access-date=8 June 2025}}</ref> thumb|Grain Store on Alexandra Road

==Products== Odlums manufactures and retails a number of flour and cereal related products under the Odlums name. These include quick porridges, cereal snacks, health foods, and baking flours and mixes.<ref>{{cite web |author= |date=n.d. |title=Products |url=https://odlums.ie/our-products/ |website=Odlums |access-date=8 June 2025}}</ref> Odlums also customizes flours for wholesale to bakers.

In addition to Odlums branded products, the group manufactured and sold McCann's Steel Cut Irish Oatmeal and other similar oat products when it owned the McCann's brand from 1964 until 2008, when it was sold to Sturm Foods.<ref name=history>{{cite web |author= |date=n.d. |title=McCann's Irish Oatmeal History |url=http://www.mccanns.ie/history.html |website=McCann's Irish Oatmeal |publisher=Sturm Foods |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017185306/http://mccanns.ie/history.html |archive-date=17 October 2013 |access-date=8 June 2025}}</ref>

==See also== *Aryzta *R&H Hall

==Notes== {{reflist|1}}

==External links== *[https://odlums.ie/ Odlums] official website

Category:Food companies of the Republic of Ireland Category:Valeo Foods Group brands