Advanced manufacturing firm, Mallaghan Engineering Limited is embarking on a multi-million pound investment and recruiting over 200 additional staff, to secure the future growth of the business.

The plans include significant new product development, underpinning the need for capital investment in factory capacity and leading edge manufacturing equipment. Mallaghan will also implement an extensive training programme to develop the skills of the workforce.

Welcoming the news, Invest Northern Ireland Chief Executive, Alastair Hamilton, said: “Mallaghan Engineering is investing in production capabilities, R&D, skills and jobs in a significant expansion at its Dungannon headquarters.

“Commercial air travel is a vast and growing industry. The productivity boosting capital equipment and extensions to Mallaghan’s factory space will help the company satisfy the growing demand for ground support equipment worldwide.

“We are pleased to be able to support Mallaghan to implement measures that will help significantly expand its customer base and boost export sales. The company’s focus on innovation, leadership training and skills development will ensure that its workforce has the depth and breadth of skills and also the technology to help Mallaghan realise its growth ambitions.

“This announcement is fantastic news for Mid Ulster and Northern Ireland’s manufacturing industry. The 210 additional staff the company expects to recruit over the next five years will, once in place, generate over £5 million annually in additional salaries to the Northern Ireland economy.”

Mallaghan Engineering Limited designs, manufactures and supplies ground support equipment for the global aviation industry, primarily to service commercial aircraft. Its principal products are high lift trucks for catering, cabin cleaning and facilitating restricted movement passengers as well as de-icing rigs, water and waste trucks, baggage conveyors and various forms of passenger stairs.

The company is developing an airport apron bus as part of its R&D investment and expects to add this new product to its portfolio by the end of 2018.

Mallaghan Engineering has been offered over £3 million of Invest NI support towards its R&D, capital and skills investments. This offer will leverage the creation of a range of additional jobs at the business, predominately in engineering and manufacturing positions.

Ronan Mallaghan, CEO of Mallaghan Engineering said: “Mallaghan is one of the fastest-growing Airport Ground Support Equipment manufacturers worldwide and this expansion is designed to help secure the future growth of our business.

“Working with Invest NI has enabled us to accelerate our investment plans, ensuring we have the manufacturing capacity and capabilities to build on our share of the high lift market. We aim to further grow our market share of the global aviation industry and will be actively targeting opportunities in the US and China.

“Expanding our product offering to include our airport bus is an exciting new direction for us which we hope will contribute to export sales from early 2019.”