POSTAL operator Whistl has won a five-year contract to deliver some government department mail in Northern Ireland.
The deal, which it said would create 10 new jobs, means it will replace Royal Mail as the main operator for several departments.
Whistl said it would deliver mail for bodies within education, health, finance, colleges and transport.
It will collect, sort and transport the mail to Royal Mail for final doorstep delivery.
The contract means Whistl will expand its operations at Hightown Industrial Estate in Newtownabbey by adding operational staff and drivers.
The depot doubled in size earlier this year.
The additional 20 million items a year will take the annual volume of mail process by the firm in the north to 60m.
Whistl has been operating in Northern Ireland since 2010 and is the only alternative UK-wide postal operating locally for clients including banks and utilities.
Whistl CEO Nick Wells said: “Whistl is delighted that we can invest in new employment opportunities for some long term unemployed people as well as apprenticeships following the award of this significant contract.
“We are delighted that we won the contract on our ability to provide a cost effective quality service that will benefit the Northern Ireland tax payer through lower postal costs but also to help get people back into the work place.”
