Construction BUSINESS

Abbey Upholsterers Specialist Joinery & Fit Out is expanding its workforce and manufacturing space in Carrickfergus with support from Invest Northern Ireland. To meet the demands driven by new contract opportunities, fifteen new roles will be recruited at Abbey Upholsterers by 2019.

The majority of the roles will be in its production division to support the business in targeting and delivering new projects outside Northern Ireland. It also plans to extend its factory space at Trooperslane Industrial Estate by an additional 23,000 sq ft as part of its strategic development.

Commenting on the plans, Paul Devlin, Managing Director at Abbey Upholsterers said: “We have secured strong relationships with our valued clients in both home and international markets. We are currently enjoying exponential sales growth and expect continued progress with sales volume increasing by over 50 per cent by 2019. Invest NI support is enabling us to put additional resources in place so that we can maximise growth opportunities and achieve our sales objectives. Increasing our factory space will also give us scope to take on new contracts, build on our USA sales to date and drive the business into global markets.”

The family owned business, which has been delivering specialist joinery and fit out solutions for over 80 years, works with a number of leading brands in the hospitality sector.

Invest NI’s offer of £97,500 to support the recruitment of 15 new jobs at Abbey Upholsterers will generate £392,000 annually to the economy in additional salaries.

Welcoming the investment, Bill Montgomery, Invest NI’s Director of Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering, added: “Abbey Upholsterers is garnering an impressive client list and is focused on building on its success in Great Britain, Republic of Ireland and beyond. Scaling its workforce and purchasing additional land at Trooperlane Industrial Estate is an important strategic investment for the business and a good news story for Mid and East Antrim. Abbey Upholsterers is a niche business in Northern Ireland’s manufacturing industry with global sales potential and we are delighted to support the company’s expansion in Carrickfergus.”

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Pictured (L – R) are: Bill Montgomery, Invest NI, and Paul Devlin, Abbey Upholsterers.