Co Antrim manufacturer SDC Trailers has created 50 jobs as part of a £7 million expansion that has boosted production.
The Chinese-owned company said the move had improved production capability and output and had made its Toomebridge operation one of the biggest manufacturing locations in the province.
It added that the recruitment of new painters, welders, engineers and material handlers will bring the workforce at SDC to over 900 people – putting it in the top 50 of Northern Ireland’s largest private sector employers.
SDC Trailers chief executive Enda Cushnahan said: “The opening of the new facility at Plant 1 in Toomebridge is an example of SDC’s proactive strategy to meet the growing demand for innovative trailers as required by customers in markets at home and abroad.
‘The expansion will revolutionise our manufacturing process and gives us the ability to increase output of trailers by 50% on a weekly basis.”
He said the move had enabled it to grow in international markets where it previously had only a limited presence.
“The demand in those markets is for tailored transport solutions which have been the cornerstone of the SDC success story,” he explained.
“The new facility has the systems installed to meet the additional demand of trailers in the new markets, whilst shortening delivery times.
“In an era where there is uncertainty, this news will be very much welcomed by the surrounding community, cements the firm as market leader in the UK and Ireland and positions it to challenge in markets overseas.”
SDC Trailers and its parent company Retlan Manufacturing were taken over by Chinese corporation CIMC Vehicles two years ago.
The Co Antrim firm is the UK and Ireland’s top trailer manufacturer. It is marking its 40th anniversary this year.
In its latest accounts, for the year ending March 31, 2017, SDC reported pre-tax profits of £10.6m on sales of £189m. Local clients include McBurney Transport.
Operations officer Cal Carmichael said the company now had one of the best working environments among manufacturers here.
“We completed a lengthy planning process, including visiting manufacturing plants in Ireland, the UK and Europe, to ensure that SDC is now one of the best manufacturing environments to work in,” he added.
“The 60,000 sq ft expansion also means that Toomebridge is now one of the largest manufacturing production sites in Northern Ireland.”