MALLUSK-based WIS Group, which is a UK market leader in anaerobic digestion technologies, has reported a stellar-performing year, during which sales soared to just shy of £40 million.
WIS (Williams Industrial Services), set up in 1983, has blossomed into one of Ireland's largest providers of process control, automation, instrumentation and environmental engineering solutions, with a staff of 151 comprising engineers, technicians and support staff.
According to figures filed at Companies House for the year to May 31 last, WIS has seen turnover spiral from £26 million to £39.9 million.
Around £8.5m of that turnover is via joint-venture agreements with civil engineering partners in the renewables market.
Indeed its renewables division has seen steady growth in the financial year and, with more than £25m in sales, continues to be the largest contributor to turnover at WIS.
Gross profit came in at £3.49m against £2.9m a year earlier, and after taxes and charges, the company retained £1.68 million on its bottom line - nearly double that of the year before (£888,719).
WIS Group attributes its sustained growth to a massive 52 per cent increase in business outside Northern Ireland, where it provides renewable energy projects to customers across Britain and which has been a launching pad into wider worldwide markets.
That has led to a multi-million-pound order book (said to be worth £53m) and visibility of another £130 million of business over the next two years.
WIS Group currently has six anaerobic digestion (AD) plants currently under construction in Britain, which collectively have a total value of £34 million, added to five further plants being built in Ireland.
The AD industry is seen as being crucial to helping ensure the UK’s wind and solar capacity are able to meet peaks in demand for electricity. The sector in the UK has been described as "dynamic", with the potential for further growth huge.
Due to the ongoing growth at the company - which recently secured a clutch of industry awards including a UTV Business Eye gong for Fast Growth - some 12 highly skilled engineers have been recruited and WIS is offering graduate programmes at each of its five divisions.
Group chief executive and chairman John Toner said: “The whole team works extremely hard throughout the year and this lets them see that their hard work is paying off. A huge well done to everyone at WIS Group.”
