New jobs for Copper Industries on back of Moy Park expansion
An expansion drive by NI’s largest company, Moy Park, is helping to fuel growth for Toome-based Copper Industries, which is creating 15 new jobs to meet demand from poultry farmers for its range of hot water cylinders and buffer tanks.
The expansion is a knock-on effect of Moy Park’s highly successful Grower Expansion Programme, which aims to increase breeder and broiler growing capacity across NI by up to 400 poultry houses.
As the only indigenous company to manufacture hot water storage cylinders and buffer tanks for both the domestic and commercial markets, Copper Industries has seen a dramatic increase in orders over the last six months resulting in round-the-clock manufacturing in order to meet demand. Primarily fuelled by the local poultry sector, the company has also seen its business expand in other markets including social housing, hotel/hospitality, hospitals and the health sector.
In addition to creating 15 new jobs, Copper Industries is also developing its manufacturing facility at its mid-Ulster site, to accommodate bespoke production requirements.
Welcoming the Moy Park initiative Cathal Shivers, Director of Copper Industries said: “This is a very positive development for our company and demonstrates how expansion within the agri-food sector is fuelling wider growth in other indigenous companies and across NI’s economy as a whole.
“Over the last few years we’ve invested significantly in our facilities and R&D capabilities to ensure our product range remains at the leading edge. Thanks to this we’re ideally positioned to meet the surge in demand from the farming community and, as the only locally-owned company with the capabilities to provide such a bespoke service, we look forward to growing this area of our business in the months ahead.”
Visiting Copper Industries to view its production facilities, Brian Gibson, Agri-Projects Manager for Moy Park added: “This is a good news story for the local economy and we’re delighted that our expansion programme is providing a welcome boost to other companies, particularly those in sectors such as manufacturing.
“Another important factor which is impacting on the success of this scheme is the introduction of the Renewable Heat Incentive which is encouraging many poultry farmers to convert from gas to hot water heating systems. Not only are such systems more economical in the long run, but they also offer significant improvement in terms of the husbandry, environment and welfare of the poultry – which are vitally important to all those involved in food production and processing today.”
