THE US parent group of Co Tyrone engineering firm Telestack has confirmed plans for a $5 million (£4m) investment creating 80 jobs in Omagh.
NASDAQ-listed Astec Industries said the expansion plans will ‘better serve growing market demands in the mobile crushing and screening industry’.
Headquartered in Chattanooga, in the state of Tennessee, Astec Industries acquired Telestack in 2014.
The US group has already invested in the expansion of the facility at the Doogary Industrial Estate, on the outskirts of Omagh.
Astec said group president Tim Averkamp said the project will add an additional 44,000 square feet to the facility, bringing the group’s total investment to around $10m (£8.25m).
It comes one year after the original facility was built to support the increased demand for mobile material handling products, closely followed by the introduction of mobile crushing and screening products.
“This investment aligns with our simplify, focus and grow business strategy and demonstrates our commitment to growth in the aggregate, recycling and other material processing industries,” said Mr Averkamp.
“It positions us to significantly increase our distribution globally and will help us continue to offer best-in-class products and services to support to our customers.”
The expansion of the Co Tyrone business has seen Telestack’s workforce grow to around 200 people in Omagh.
Group vice president of operations, Martin Dummigan said at least 80 more jobs would be created over the next 24 months.
“We opened the original plant a year ago and already have to nearly double it in size, so it’s a real success story and shows the quality and demand of our product,” he said.
“Northern Ireland is where more than half the supply of the global market for mobile crushing and screening equipment originates and establishing a larger footprint here will not only help us grow our business, but also better serve our customers and partners.”
