FITTED furniture manufacturer Specialist Joinery Group has marked its 30th birthday by investing £5 million to extend its Maghera factory in a move which will lead to 52 new staff being recruited.
The family owned and managed business, founded in 1988 by John Bosco O’Hagan, has enjoyed a period of sustained growth over the last decade (its turnover is now £20 million) and is introducing new automation and technologies to fulfil a rising demand for its services among tier one contractors in the major project market.
“We've grown rapidly since our last major investment in 2013, resulting in the need for more capacity to meet customer needs," chairman John O’Hagan said.
"We remain intensely export focused, as well as maintaining our position as a market leader on the island of Ireland."
He added: “Over the past 30 years the company has delivered an outstanding portfolio of major projects for leading law practices, pharmaceutical companies, universities and hospitals as well as working for some of the world’s most distinguished brands like Estee Lauder, Google, Rolls Royce, Aecom and Amazon.”
Specialist Joinery Group is currently working on projects including City Quay Dublin, Avalon Aviation, Ulster Hospital and Altnagelvin, and among the contractors it works for are Graham, Farrans, ISG, Overbury, Sir Robert McAlpine, Mace and Structuretone.
Invest NI has offered the company £468,000 towards the capital investment.
The agency's director of advanced manufacturing and engineering Bill Montgomery said: “This is an established and growing manufacturing business which has positioned itself as the preferred supplier for large scale projects across a range of sectors.
“This investment and expansion of the company headquarters will help ensure it can continue to successfully compete for larger scale projects with shorter time scales.”
Managing director Ciaran O’Hagan said: “We view this latest extension as a critical investment in the group’s growth and development. We have built our brand reputation purely on people and the quality and service they deliver.
“This project is foremost an investment in our people and their ability to provide world class joinery and the ultimate client experience. As our team grows, we will work hard to maintain this family culture.
"New additions of a staff gym, extensive breakout areas and 150 seater staff restaurant to Specialist HQ, will further enhance our capability to recruit and retain the best talent in the industry.”
