WHILE other parts of the Province are still struggling economically, the Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough appears to be bucking the trend by fighting the recession.
In the last fortnight 35 new jobs have been brought to the area thanks to two local businesses.
As revealed in the Courier last week, 12 new jobs are in the pipeline at recycling facility Envirogreen at Western Business Park, Coalisland.
And following hot on the heels of this good news, it has been announced that a further 23 new jobs are to be created at Westland Horticulture in Dungannon, thanks to a multi-million pound investment.
The company has pumped £5 million into upgrading its machinery and last week celebrity gardener Diarmuid Gavin, and guests left, unveiled highly advanced new machinery at the company's factory.
The machinery will be used to produce a number of Westland's products including a new peat-free compost for launch in 20112 which will be targeted at both consumers and professionals growers within the hoticultural sector.
Invest Northern Ireland has offered Wesland Horticulture over £200,000 to support the investment in product development, factory improvements and export marketing.
Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster has welcomed the investment news, stating that it will offer valuable employment opportunities locally.
Speaking at the company's official launch event, the minister said: "Westland Horticulture is an innovative, ambitious and forward thinking business. Over the last 20 years, the company has worked hard to establish a leading position in the horticulture sector and has demonstrated its commitment to continuous improvement and innovation.
"Supported by Invest Northern Ireland, Westland Horticulture has created a ground breaking solution targeted at the professional grower and consumer market which offers the company potentially lucrative export opportunities.
"This significant investment will help Westland Horticulture to grow its business in new and existing markets, secure the future success of the company and offer valuable employment opportunities in Co Tyrone."
Westland Horticulture has been developing innovative products for the UK and Republic of Ireland horticultural sector for over 20 years and employs over 200 people across its two sites in County Tyrone.
The company has invested significantly in product development with a focus on peat reduced compost products to meet UK Government targets. As part of the £5million investment, Westland Horticulture has developed West+ Light & Easy Multi-Purpose Compost, which uses a unique peat free formulation to deliver the same growing benefits usually achieved with standard peat based products.
Edward Conroy, Joint Managing Director of Westland Horticulture, said: "In order to remain at the forefront of development within growing media we needed to expand our facilities and workforce, resulting in the expansion of our new West+ plant. With the support offered by Invest NI we are able to continue to make important contributions towards the research and development of our products and it allows for our continuous developments.
"One of the key benefits of our new product is its super lightweight bag which is 60 per cent lighter than an ordinary bag of compost.
"This means it can be easily and more cost effectively transported to customers outside Northern Ireland, helping to reduce CO2 emissions and transport overheads. Our ongoing aim is to help reduce the reliance on peat based products within the horticultural industry and increase our customer base of professional growers in international markets."
Source: Tyrone Courier
Date: Wednesday 14th September 2011