Ballymoney company Dowds Group will create a spate of new roles to support its export ambitions.
Dowds Group, a mechanical, electrical, facilities management and build contractor, will create 68 new jobs in construction by 2021 in order to support its projected export growth.
The investment, backed by Invest Northern Ireland (NI), will strengthen the company’s design and engineering capability, and enable it to target higher-value contracts in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland, the firm said.
Recruitment for the new positions is already underway and will include a number of managerial posts as well as operatives and engineers. Once in place, the roles will contribute more than £2m to the local economy. As well as creating roles, Dowds Group has confirmed plans to create 40 apprenticeship posts.
“Over the last 40 years our company has earned a reputation for providing high installations in the health, education, commercial, industrial and public sectors,” said James Dowd, managing director of Dowds Group.
“Over the next three years, our objectives are to increase turnover by 25pc and drive up sales outside Northern Ireland. In the current economic climate, this £4.5m investment is not without its risks, but with Invest NI’s financial support we feel we are well positioned to proactively target larger-scale contracts and take advantage of market opportunities in Great Britain and Ireland.” Invest NI has reportedly offered the company an employment grant of £442,000.
Dowds Group has hubs in Ballymoney (Co Antrim), Belfast and London. It currently employs 181 staff in Northern Ireland and a further 12 in the UK.
Commenting on the investment, Invest NI chief executive Alastair Hamilton said: “This investment is good news for the Northern Ireland construction sector, which has faced some challenges in recent years, and good news for the Ballymoney area.
“Dowds Group is to be congratulated for continuing to seek out new markets and higher-value contracts that will help to secure the long-term viability of the company.”
