Business

Lisburn engineering firm unveils £28m expansion, creating almost 300 jobs

Pictured at Camlin's headquarters in Lisburn are: John Cunningham, Camlin CEO; Alastair Hamilton, Invest NI CEO; and Peter Cunningham, Camlin managing director.
Pictured at Camlin's headquarters in Lisburn are: John Cunningham, Camlin CEO; Alastair Hamilton, Invest NI CEO; and Peter Cunningham, Camlin managing director. Pictured at Camlin's headquarters in Lisburn are: John Cunningham, Camlin CEO; Alastair Hamilton, Invest NI CEO; and Peter Cunningham, Camlin managing director.

A LISBURN engineering firm is creating almost 300 new jobs as part of a £28 million expansion at its headquarters, aimed at increasing global sales.

Camlin, who develop and supply engineering solutions primarily for the electricity and rail industries, has announced the addition of 298 new roles at the company, 98 of which are in place, in addition to the creation of a new state of the art facility at Ferguson Drive in Lisburn.

Once filled, the new jobs will add over £9.5m a year in annual salaries to the local economy.

Camlin chief executive, John Cunningham said the major investment is part of an "ambitious and strategic growth plan" designed to grow international sales and market presence.

"Innovation through new product development and training for our workforce has been a major focus for us as we work to position ourselves competitively to successfully enter new high value markets.

“Our ethos is based around delivering high tech solutions and our new staff are involved in leading edge technologies across R&D and manufacturing disciplines. This new building is giving us the scope to accommodate an increased workforce and fully implement our growth plans," Mr Cunningham said.

The significant expansion is being supported by £5m in funding from Invest NI. Chief executive, Alastair Hamilton said it marks an "exciting chapter" in the growth of the high-tech manufacturer.

"We have been working closely with Camlin to help the company realise its global potential. Our offer of £5m will support the company’s multi million pound investment in R&D, skills, property and job creation."

“These commitments will see Camlin’s future research, engineering, design and manufacturing activities centred in Northern Ireland, which is positive news for our local engineering sector," he added.

Camlin operates with the vision of bringing revolutionary products to life for a wide range of industries and also has interests in a number of R&D projects in a variety of scientific sectors. The Camlin operation spans over 21 countries across the globe and currently employs 251 people at its Lisburn site.

In addition to its Lisburn headquarters, the company also has European satellite facilities in Bologna, Parma and Krakow.