DERRY-based construction firm Heron Bros have got big plans for 2017, announcing over £110 million worth of new construction projects in Northern Ireland and Scotland.
These projects include the largest single capital contract ever let by Belfast City Council, the £105m Belfast Leisure Transformation Programme, which will see several leisure facilities across the city getting a complete makeover.
A new £30m leisure centre at Dairy Hall in Newtownards is also in the works, which will be complete with gym, pool and spa facilities, as well as an outdoor adventure park and a skate park.
Heron Bros is to break ground on site in Newtownards next month, with the scheme expected to last 20 months and the handover expected to take place in October 2018.
The company have also started work on the site of a new £4.5m Porsche dealership in the Titanic Quarter. The facility will be comprised of a car centre for sales and servicing and the project expected to be completed in autumn 2017.
It’s not just Northern Ireland that will bare the fruits of Heron Bros labour, however, as the firm has also secured contracts across Scotland.
In Renfrewshire, Heron Bros has been appointed as main contractor of the £14m Bargarran Primary School and St John’s Bosco Joint Faith primary school and nursery.
In East Renfrewshire, the firm will be working on the £5m Arthurlie Family Centre. The contract involves the construction of new single storey building to create a family centre, providing early education for age 0-5-year-olds with a total capacity for 170 child spaces.
Damian Heron, group managing director at Heron Bros, said these contracts highlight the company’s advances in each sector, be it its leisure portfolio, high-end production capabilities, or its expertise in delivering specialist education and secure facilities.
"Following a successful 2016, we are delighted to begin a new year by announcing that Heron Bros has been awarded over £110m worth of construction work both in Northern Ireland and Scotland," he added.
"Heron Bros is committed to developing long-lasting and collaborative relationships with our supply chain partners as we recognise the value this adds to our business.
"As always we are eager to build a network of contacts in the respective locations so that we can make our local supply chain as robust as possible."
Heron Bros was established as a modest building contractor in 1956 by six brothers in Draperstown and it saw its turnover shoot up more than five per cent to £52m in its last full trading year, when it posted a bottom-line profit of £2m and carried forward £24m in assets.
Last year the firm recorded turnover of nearly £60m, but its upcoming accounts are expected to surpass this figure significantly.
