Design Engineers 'Poles Ahead'

A Northern Ireland building design consultants, Delap & Waller, has boosted sales in the Polish market with help from Invest NI.

The design engineering practice's success follows business growth in Romania.

Londonderry-based Delap & Waller was also recently presented with a prestigious Engineering Excellence Award from the UK Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) for work on a major project in Northern Ireland.

The decision to focus on sales in Warsaw, the Polish capital, was announced by Liam O'Hagan, Delap & Waller Managing Director, and welcomed by Des Gartland, Invest North West Regional Office Manager, which assisted the practice to explore business in Poland.

Delap & Waller also established sales in Bucharest, Romania, wheres it was commissioned to carry out substantial projects, including 11 major shopping malls, a network of cinemas, a residential complex of 600 apartments, and a residential development of 250 apartments as well as numerous other projects.

Invest NI's Mr Gartland said: "Delap & Waller has an impressive track record of achievement especially in export markets.

"We have been working closely with the practice in a number of areas including market research in Romania and Poland, as well as its ongoing interest in information technology.

"I am also aware that Delap & Waller has won a substantial project in Bulgaria through involvement in a recent Invest NI trade mission."

ManagD Mr O'Hagan said: "I've been visiting Poland virtually on a monthly basis and have made a number of important contacts that could lead to worthwhile business.

"Working in Central and Eastern European markets is not a new experience for us. As well as Romania, we’ve gained considerable knowledge and expertise working in other parts of Eastern Europe including Russia and the Ukraine."

He said winning the award from the Association for Consultancy and Engineering for the firm's work on The Braid, the Ballymena Museum and Arts Centre was an :important endorsement of the quality of the services we provide".

"The Braid featured cutting-edge design using low carbon energy systems carefully integrated into a complex building and demonstrates how we can reduce the environmental impact of buildings in the future," he added.

(PR/BMcC)