WEST Belfast start-ups Kitchen Design House and Necto Search & Selection are investing more than £800,000 collectively to grow their exports in the Republic of Ireland, with Invest NI providing £71,800 of support towards job creation and marketing activities.
Based at the Innovation Factory at Forthriver Business Park, the company investments will also see the creation of 10 jobs and contribute £290,000-plus in additional annual salaries.
Karen Connolly, owner of Kitchen Design House, which specialises in kitchen design, manufacture, and installation, said: “We’ve quickly built a strong customer base in Northern Ireland and we’re now in a position to extend our reach into RoI, particularly in the housing development and home improvement markets.
“Alongside investing in new machinery to streamline efficiencies, Invest NI is helping us build our brand in new markets and create seven designer, fitter and factory roles. All of this will give us the confidence to make the most of the opportunities right now in RoI and look towards more opportunities further afield.”
Necto Search & Selection is growing its recruitment consultancy in new markets, starting with RoI.
Founder and director Paddy McDade said: “We’ve experienced an increase in demand in the RoI market for our professional recruitment services across the building, civil engineering and internal fit-out sectors.
“To help us focus on this demand, Invest NI is supporting us to create three recruitment consultant roles and has offered marketing support to boost our brand visibility in RoI, and help us realise our future plans to explore GB and European markets.”
Susan O’Kane, Invest NI’s eastern regional manager, said: “These two export driven start-ups were both established in 2020 and our Eastern regional team has been working closely with each business ever since.
“We’ve provided tailored advice and financial support towards marketing activities and job creation to help them increase capacity and grow exports.”
