BALLYMENA is enjoying a hospitality and retail resurgence with 12 new business opening since the start of this year.
It comes as the town prepares to launch the north's first business improvement district (BID) later this week.
The BID will spend £1.5 million over five years on initiatives to market the town and help traders to attract more customers.
Among businesses to have opened during 2015 are The Zipyard, Regatta and a Bob and Berts coffee shop.
The new entrants to Ballymena have helped reduce unit vacancy rates to 14 per cent - below the Northern Ireland average.
So far this year the town centre has already benefited from £55,000 from the Department of Social Development to revitalise the Mill Street and Castle Street areas.
BID chairman Terry Robb said the new businesses were "a really positive sign".
"We want to make Ballymena one of the most vibrant and diverse shopping and leisure destinations in the region and it seems that an increasing number of business owners are buying into that vision," he said.
“As well as the new businesses which have chosen to set up in the town centre, we are equally encouraged by the investment being put in by existing traders such as the extension to the Spar on Wellington Street. This is proof that business owners have confidence in the town centre and with further investment and marketing support on the way through the BID, the future looks bright for Ballymena."
Damian O’Hagan of The Zip Yard added: "The opportunity presented itself to open The Zip Yard and as I’m local to Ballymena, of course it was my first choice of location. We had looked at other locations in town but Ballymoney Street worked out the best for our needs. There’s a high footfall traffic throughout the day and good anchor stores in close proximity."
