Biggest-Ever Showcase Of NI Machinery At Hillhead

The International Quarrying and Recycling exhibition at Hillhead in Derbyshire next week will see the biggest ever presentation of innovative machinery from Northern Ireland’s successful materials handling companies.

A total of 15 companies will be showing equipment on a group stand organised by Invest Northern Ireland.

In addition to the 15 companies on the group stand, global companies based in Northern Ireland including Powerscreen International, Dungannon, Terex Finlay, Omagh, McCloskey, Coalisland, Tesab, Omagh, Rapid International, Tandragee and Sandvik in Ballygawley will be showing their latest machinery on individual stands at the international exhibition, the biggest event this year for the quarrying and recycling industry.

Dr Vicky Kell, Invest NI Trade Director, said: "Northern Ireland is now an internationally recognised centre of excellence in the design and manufacture of materials handling equipment for a broad range of applications including construction, quarrying, mining, recycling and concrete production.

"The Invest NI pavilion will showcase the region’s position as home to one of the world’s most successful clusters of engineering companies developing innovative solutions that are now exported to every continent. Companies in Northern Ireland pioneered the development of mobile screening and washing machinery.

"Among internationally acknowledged areas of particular expertise are mobile screening and crushing machinery – as well as bespoke equipment for the increasingly important recycling industry.

"Many global companies in quarrying and recycling have been operating successfully from Northern Ireland for over 30 years and are supported by a comprehensive and competitive network of local suppliers of components and expert services. As a result, Northern Ireland has a resource of skills, knowledge and experience in materials handling which facilitates market-led and customer focused innovation.

"The region’s two world class universities, Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Ulster, and further education colleges also have strong engineering centres which work with companies on R&D and new product development."

Of the machinery manufactured in Northern Ireland, over 90 per cent is now sold to customers worldwide for applications such as iron ore mining in India, road construction in Peru, diamond exploration in South Africa and sand washing in the Arabian Gulf.

(CD)