A RECENTLY formed dairy co-operative is to create 15 jobs in a £30 million investment at a plant in Co Tyrone.
LacPatrick Group said the expansion would be it "at the forefront of the developing market for advanced dairy technology".
It will increase the processing capacity of the plant from a million litres a day to 2.5m litres.
The co-op said it was in response to increasing demand in south-east Asia and Africa.
Construction work is already under way and the site is expected to by fully operational by April 2017.
The facility will feature a new evaporation and spray drying tower which will make advanced dairy ingredients and will be accommodated within a new 30,000 sq ft building within the current Artigarvan site.
The Artigarvan plant which employs 50 people formerly operated under the Town of Monaghan name and has been in existence there since 1902.
LacPatrick operations director Tommy Thompson said: “Our Artigarvan plant has been exporting high quality milk powders for decades to more than 30 countries worldwide.
“Our milk pool is growing rapidly and our members were keen we develop a sustainable and effective facility that will enable them to secure routes to primary export markets.
“We have already established a reputation of excellence and we see this as a real opportunity to push this out even further globally when the plant is up and running in 2017.
Group chief executive Gabriel D’Arcy added: “We are delighted to be making this strong statement of confidence that has huge significance for us, our suppliers and our shareholders.
"This announcement follows the equally exciting formation of LacPatrick and underpins the vision of the respective boards and members of the founding co-ops."
Meanwhile, American health company CVS Caremark is to close its IT development centre in Belfast with the loss of 70 jobs - just three years after it opened.
Last year, the company announced plans to add another 150 jobs in Belfast.
It has been offered more than £1m from Invest NI since its arrival in the north.
