May 10, 2016

Cobb's 100th anniversary celebrated at British Pig & Poultry Fair

 

The centenary of Cobb, the world's oldest poultry breeding company, is being celebrated at the British Pig & Poultry Fair at Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, on May 10 and 11.

The Cobb breed was founded by the Cobb family in Massachusetts, US, in 1916 and came to the UK in the early 1960s when the Cobb Breeding Company was formed to develop the market in the country as well as across Europe and Africa.

The company also established a UK pedigree breeding programme using imported lines from the US, leading to the launch of the Cobb500 in the UK in 1974. 

When Tony Barnes became president of Cobb-Vantress in 1983, the Cobb500 was introduced to the US market that had been demanding meat yield and feed efficiency.

Today, Cobb is investing in ongoing expansion of its UK farm and hatchery facilities for supplying grandparent breeding stock to the global market, while the European research complex at Herveld in the Netherlands has just completed a EUR15 million (US$17.1 million) expansion and redevelopment to double the capacity of the facility which runs alongside the five Cobb research centres in the US.

"100 years is an historic milestone, and the growth and success of the company since 1916 is something that everyone involved with Cobb past and present is very proud of," said Mark Sams, general manager of Cobb Europe. "To grow from such small beginnings to become a global supplier of genetic breeding stock is a remarkable achievement that has taken hard work, dedication and teamwork. A key part of this success has been the relationships we've developed with our distribution partners and customers over time."

According to Sams, the poultry industry remains passionate and determined in dealing with challenges. "Cobb will continue to play a significant role by investing in the facilities and technology that will ensure our products meet the future challenges of feeding the world's growing population," he added.