Business

Former Tyrone Brick factory to become business park

Announcing the new £3m Brickworks Business Park at the Cookstown Road site in Dungannon are, from left, Niall Maneely, Maneely & Co, James Maneely, Clarman Architects, Shane O’Neill, Maximus and Andrew Gawley, Lisney
Announcing the new £3m Brickworks Business Park at the Cookstown Road site in Dungannon are, from left, Niall Maneely, Maneely & Co, James Maneely, Clarman Architects, Shane O’Neill, Maximus and Andrew Gawley, Lisney Announcing the new £3m Brickworks Business Park at the Cookstown Road site in Dungannon are, from left, Niall Maneely, Maneely & Co, James Maneely, Clarman Architects, Shane O’Neill, Maximus and Andrew Gawley, Lisney

THE former Tyrone Brick factory on the outskirts of Dungannon is to be transformed into a business park.

A £3 million development plan will convert the 20-acre site on the Cookstown Road into a major industrial site comprising up to nine sites and existing buildings.

The Brickworks Business Park is being developed by Maximus Crushing & Screening with commercial property agents Lisney and Maneely & Co instructed to sell the sites.

It is anticipated the park will be up and running by the end of this year.

Shane O’Neill of Maximus Crushing & Screening said it was "a hugely positive news story of inward investment and job creation for Dungannon".

"We are building a brand new business park from scratch in an area in which there is a severe shortage of quality industrial land," he said.

“With potentially nine sites over a 20-acre area, this is set to become a landmark site which will appeal to the wide range of prominent manufacturing and engineering firms, and their suppliers.”

Maximus bought the site earlier this year and will run its manufacturing operation at the remaining 50 acres of space.

Lisney associate director Andrew Gawley said: "We already have one large site under offer, which proves the major demand which exists throughout this area for quality industrial development land. The sites available range from 0.7 to 7.5 acres, and will appeal to large companies and smaller expanding companies alike.

“Dungannon and the surrounding area has a strong pedigree of long-standing, successful firms - such as Dunbia and Moy Park – and the Brickworks Business Park will add further to the area’s reputation.”

Niall Maneely from Maneely & Co added: “The Dungannon and south Tyrone area is renowned for excellence in the food and engineering sectors, and the release of these sites will further consolidate the area’s reputation.

“There has been a shortage of quality sites available in recent years for these sectors and the businesses servicing them, and therefore demand is expected to be high for sites within this new and exciting Brickworks Business Park.

“It’s great for Dungannon to see this famous industrial site brought back into full economic use and once again providing excellent employment opportunities for the town.”

Tyrone Brick was a casualty of the economic downturn, with production ceasing in 2009.

While the majority of workers were laid off, it retained a skeleton staff for a number of years while remaining stock was sold off.

The firm was set up in 1890 and at one point was Ireland's largest manufacturer of clay bricks before it finally closed in 2012.