DONEGAL drinks manufacturer Mulrines has confirmed it will develop a manufacturing site in Co Tyrone.
Best known for its range of juices, the Ballybofey-based firm said it will establish a new facility on the site of the historic Herdman’s Mill in Sion Mills.
The company has been linked to the site for the past two years, but has now confirmed it will expand its manufacturing operation into Northern Ireland.
Mulrines, which has been in business since 1919, first registered a business in the north during 2016.
In recent months it switched its address to the Herdman’s site.
The mill, which dates back to the mid-19th century, was once a major centre of the textile industry in the north west, employing around 1,000 people.
It finally closed in 2004 and was later bought by the late Strabane lottery winner Margaret Loughrey.
It’s understood the Mulrines facility will be developed in the more modern industrial units on the large site.
A statement issued on behalf of the Donegal company’s chairman Paul Mulrine said on Thursday: “Mulrines are happy to announce the future recruitment for a wide range of roles.
“I am pleased we are developing this manufacturing site in Co Tyrone, building on the success of our Ballybofey factory which remains the key facility of our operations.
“Sion Mills and Tyrone is an area of great potential and its skilled workforce was an important factor in our decision to open a new facility.”
Alongside its Ballybofey facility, Mulrines also operates a base in Chester, where it produces a range of UHT beverage products for the UK, European and US markets.
