Co Fermanagh sawmill company Balcas has secured planning permission for a new automated timber treatment plant at its base near Enniskillen.
Fermanagh and Omagh District Council’s planning committee has approved its bid for a new 52,000 sq ft facility at its Ballycassidy headquarters, next to Enniskillen Airport.
The new plant is expected to take 12 months to develop.
Founded in 1962, Balcas is one of the biggest sawmill operations in the UK or Ireland, employing around 360 people in its timber business.
The new multimillion pound investment in automation comes three years after the Fermanagh firm was bought by Glennon Brothers, a third-generation timber processing company with plants in Longford, Cork and Troon.
Industry monitor Construction Information Services Ireland estimate the value of the project at around £4 million.
In a report submitted as part of its planning application, Balcas described the investment as a “future-proofing project”.
It said the new facility will increase on-site capacity, significantly reducing the need for the outsourcing of transport.
Balcas said it plans to install market leading computer automation in its new facility.
“This process sees the timber fed into the facility to transfer for pressurised treatment.
“Following drying and storage, the treated timber is then conveyed from the building, ready for sale.”
The company said it plans to harvest rainwater for the processing, with all electricity coming from its existing on-site wood chip powered generation system.
“Adding value to our product output will generate greater sustainability to sales, impacting positively on the rural economy through the provision of quality employment and long-term job security for the region,” said the company.
The latest accounts published for Balcas Timber Limited show it generated a turnover of £143.7m in 2022, producing a pre-tax profit of £19.4m.
