COOKSTOWN-based Trade Mouldings, one of the UK’s largest manufacturers and distributors of MDF wrapped mouldings and vinyl wrapped cabinet doors, has opened a new €1.5 million depot in Dublin specifically to service the market in the Republic in the aftermath of Brexit.
The second-generation family business started by Kevin MacOscar in 1982, currently makes more than 30,000 doors and 75,000 linear metres of wrapped mouldings every week, and has enjoyed several years of double-digit growth.
But with 85 per cent of its sales outside Northern Ireland (its export markets extend to the Middle East and Central America), the company has been keen to "Brexit-proof" the business, and has looked south to create a subsidiary.
“We have a global supply chain, throughout Europe and the Far East, so a hard Brexit would be detrimental to business if it results in restrictions in regulations and an increase in tariffs," sales director Damien Connolly said.
“Like all Northern Ireland manufacturing companies relying on export, we want to see minimal barriers to trade so that the market keeps growing.
"We are concerned about the introduction of restrictive customs controls, restrictions to and the cost of market access, and the movement of people, as our own headcount of 150 people includes employees from a range of European countries."
These concerns were outlined to Bank of England Deputy Governor Dr Ben Broadbent when he made a visit to the company's 200,000ft Cookstown plant as part of the Bank’s information-gathering strategy to better understand current trade conditions facing companies and to discuss how Brexit is shaping the company’s decision-making process, investment levels and business growth.
Conor McOscar, Trade Mouldings' managing director said: “We were delighted to welcome Dr Broadbent to discuss our trade concerns and share with him the significant investments we’ve made recently, including spending £1 million here in Cookstown last summer."
