STONE quarried in Co Down is being used to surface some of mainland Europe's busiest roads.
Conexpo, based at Belfast Harbour, has just won an export order to supply 55,000 tonnes to help reconstruct 26km of the road network near Limburg in southern Holland.
The contract follows a 200,000 tonne order for the newly constructed A15 extension which serves the Port of Rotterdam and is Europe’s busiest motorway.
Established in 1991, Conexpo employs 45 people directly and supports a further 50 jobs, mainly in the haulage sector. Family owned, the company, which made a pre tax profit of just under £5 million in 2015, operates two quarries in Co Down and also procures 100,000’s of tonnes of stone from neighbouring quarries.
Conexpo sources one million tonnes of high quality gritstone annually from its Co Down quarries.
The stone is then processed and exported from the firm's £5m quayside plant located on a seven -hectare site in Belfast Harbour estate.
Opened in 2015 it is the only facility in Europe which can simultaneously produce aggregates to UK and European standards.
The Co Down stone is highly sought after for its ability to improve skid resistance and reduce road noise by up to six decibels.
Conexpo managing director Jonathan McCluskey explained that in partnership with Belfast Harbour the company has been able to develop a bespoke shipping terminal and processing plant which provides some of the world’s highest quality stone.
"Co Down quarry gritstone is increasingly in high demand and has been used in road projects from Hong Kong to Rotterdam, not just for initial construction, but also long-term re-surfacing requirements. Our Belfast Harbour facility has the potential to produce 6,000 tonnes every day, crushing and screening precision-sized stone for the complex honeycomb structures used in modern road surfaces.”
Belfast Harbour commercial director Joe O'Neill said stone exports by Conexpo was the harbour's fastest growing commodity sector over the last five years and one of its most significant.
"Belfast Harbour has worked with Conexpo since it was established 25-years ago, developing facilities to support its ambitious growth plans. Northern Ireland’s quarry sector provides significant economic and employment opportunities and the Harbour will continue to support Conexpo as it continues to develop new export markets," he added.
