NI engineers win £47 million

Northern Ireland-based engineering company FG Wilson is set to receive a £47 million investment boost to research and manufacture diesel and natural gas powered electrical generators for parent company, Caterpillar.

The investment, which includes £12.2 million from Invest Northern Ireland, will also create 155 new jobs at the company’s facilities at Larne, Springvale and Monkstown.

Announcing the investment at the company’s Springvale plant, Enterprise Minister Angela Smith said, “FG Wilson’s success shows that Northern Ireland companies can indeed become global leaders in the manufacturing sector. Having started off as a small, family run company 40 years ago, it now employs more than 3,000 people and exports over 90 per cent of its output.”

The investment programme will include the growth of the company’s Engineering Centre of Excellence and further development of its lean manufacturing processes. It will also fund enhanced training and development of staff, increased sales and marketing support to increase the company’s market penetration in the Middle East, Europe and Africa, and the further enhancement of computer systems to improve operational effectiveness on a global basis.