25/03/2005

Invest NI chief welcomes sportsware investment

Invest NI chief executive Leslie Morrison has welcomed a £1.7 million expansion by O’Neills Irish International Sportswear Company Ltd.

Mr Morrison was speaking during a visit to the firm’s Strabane site where he met with Kieran Kennedy, O’Neills managing director.

As part of the investment, O’Neills has moved the production of knitted fabrics to a new 60,000sq ft site, adjacent to its current Strabane factory. The company is also in the process of developing a dedicated warehousing facility which will maximise supply chain efficiency and has created 50 new jobs as part of the expansion.

Welcoming the announcement, Mr Morrison said: “This investment will maximise the potential of the local textiles industry by providing O’Neills with an opportunity to establish and build its brand in international sports goods markets.

“By focusing on export markets, local companies can create greater wealth for the community and new employment opportunities - a key component of Invest NI’s North West Action Plan. This aims to transform the North West economy by encouraging innovation, internationalisation and entrepreneurship.”

O’Neills produces and sells a range of high-quality sports, leisure, school and corporate wear with particular focus on the GAA sports clothing market.

Related Northern Ireland Business News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

05 January 2016
Pale Blue Dot Announces Five New Posts
Belfast based creative agency Pale Blue Dot is taking on five new staff as part of an ambitious growth strategy. Invest Northern Ireland has offered the company £37,500 of support for the new jobs which will see the company increase its workforce to 11 staff in the next 18 months.
02 February 2015
New Export Start Guide Now Available
A new guide to support potential exporters based on the island of Ireland is now available. The Export Start Guide is a partnership initiative from Chartered Accountants Ireland and two enterprise development agencies, Enterprise Ireland and Invest Northern Ireland.
17 June 2005
Radius Plastics to extend operations and look to export market
Local firm Radius Plastics has announced plans to extend its local base of operations to allow the company to increase its current product range and move into new and more profitable export markets.
24 February 2015
Comfizone Aims To Double Its Turnover
A Coalisland company that specialises in mattresses and bedding products is aiming to double its turnover in an expansion supported by Invest Northern Ireland. Comfizone is creating nine new jobs and undertaking extensive marketing activity to grow its export sales across Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland.
03 December 2014
Ballymoney Firm Announces Expansion
Payescape Ltd in Ballymoney is creating seven new jobs following investment by a US entrepreneur and support from Invest Northern Ireland. The business, set up in 2006 by John Borland, provides online outsourced payroll services to small and medium sized enterprises. It currently employs six.