Ryobi announces £7 million expansion of Carrickfergus plant

Japanese-owned Ryobi Aluminium Casting (UK) Limited is set to expand its die-casting and machining capacity at Carrickfergus in a new business strategy that will include innovative services to customers in the European automotive industry.

Announcing the £6.9 million investment which will create 76 new jobs over the next three years, Sir Reg Empey MLA, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, said the investment will see the Ryobi group add significant value to its existing operation in Northern Ireland.

As he welcomed Hiroshi Urakami, President of Ryobi Limited of Hiroshima, the parent company of Ryobi Aluminium Casting, to Northern Ireland, Sir Reg added: “The decision to position this factory to offer additional services and to work with customers on innovative projects is an important measure of the Japanese group’s confidence in the talents and motivation of its employees here.

“It is also significant that Northern Ireland has now won substantial investments from three global industry leaders from different business sectors and from three different nations this year: Ryobi of Japan is one of the world leaders in aluminium die-casting; B/E Aerospace of the USA is the world’s leading manufacturer of civilian aircraft seats; and Ritek from Taiwan is the international market leader in optical storage technology.

“Three provincial towns, Carrickfergus, Kilkeel and Omagh, will benefit enormously from these investments by companies of such international standing in terms of the wealth creation that will result from the injection of fresh investment in new skills, additional employment and in business opportunities for local suppliers.

“Recent commitments by Ryobi and other world class companies add weight to initiatives by Invest NI to attract further inward investment projects from key sectors by working closely through its regional network, with district councils, community representatives and the universities to sharpen regional investment propositions."

Ryobi Aluminium Casting (UK) Limited was established at Carrickfergus in 1990 as the Ryobi Limited of Japan’s sole European casting operation for clutch and transmission casings for the automotive industry.

In March 2002, the company accepted an offer of £978,000 in Selective Financial Assistance from the former Industrial Development Board towards the costs of the current expansion.

Ryobi Group recorded a £1.1 billion turnover for the year ended March 2001 and employs almost 6,400 people worldwide. (MB)