New £1.75m headquarters opened at Kilwaughter Minerals Limited in Larne
The 9,000 square foot modern facility at the company’s 75-acre site in Larne will connect to Kilwaughter’s thriving R&D facility and previously opened Centre of Excellence which focuses on innovative product development and customer training respectively.
The new building will also include open-plan office space for over 50 employees, a, welcoming canteen area, multiple meeting rooms and break-out areas to further enhance employee collaboration and cohesion.
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Hide AdSpeaking at the official opening, Kilwaughter Minerals chief executive, Gary Wilmot, said: “As a leader in the UK construction and agriculture sectors and a responsible business here in Northern Ireland, we continually strive to invest in facilities and operations that will deliver benefit for both our customers and our employees.
“Our new building is testament to that commitment and will not only energise staff as they find themselves working in new-era, purpose-built surroundings, but will also serve as the home for harvesting ideas and developing exciting new products that will enhance our market leading position and ensure we continue to deliver excellence to our customers.”
The seven-figure investment is the latest step of an ambitious, post-pandemic growth strategy for Kilwaughter Minerals which serves several sectors, with products including through-colour renders, external wall insulation systems, soil health conditioning minerals and livestock bedding lime solutions to control bacteria.
Post-pandemic growth strategy
The local firm has already this year invested £450,000 in production operations, creating 17 new jobs.
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Hide AdIt also increased the headcount of its R&D team as part of a long term £3.4m strategic investment in innovation.
The jobs boost, announced in August this year, connects to the company’s strategic focus on employees and organisation capability.
The new production roles, which brought the overall number employed by the leading mineral processor to 200, followed unprecedented demand for Kilwaughter products as the economy rebounds following the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown.
Mayor, Councillor William McCaughey, said at the official opening “It is an honour to officially open this impressive new office space here at Kilwaughter Minerals. The company is not only a key employer here in the Mid and East Antrim borough but a catalyst for growth in the wider Northern Ireland economy.
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Hide Ad“I am therefore thrilled to see it continue its investment in its facilities for the benefit of employees and customers alike, and very much look forward to seeing what Kilwaughter will achieve here in the future.”
Kilwaughter Minerals’ position as a key player in Northern Ireland is cemented not only by these latest significant investments but also by its recent ‘Stakeholder of the Year’ accolade at this year’s Social Enterprise NI Awards.
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