Tegral has announced an investment of €7.3m in its manufacturing plant in Athy, Co Kildare, which will result in the creation of 30 new jobs.
€2.1m will be spent immediately on new machinery, while the remaining €5.2m will be invested in upgrading existing machinery and improvements in infrastructure over the next three years. Ten of the new jobs have already come on stream and the balance will be created in November.
The investment follows a successful tender by Tegral to supply fibre cement roof slates for the UK market, following a competitive bid with other plants within the company’s global group, ETEX. The new contract covers ETEX’s full requirement for a range of fibre cement slates in the UK.
Tegral managing director Paddy Kelly said: “This is a good day for Tegral and it’s pleasing to have some positive news for Athy after all the gloom of recent years. Our long-standing record of delivering high-quality products and good productivity along with a reputable flexible workforce stood the test.
“This investment will also enable us to become a more efficient operation in preparation for the higher volumes expected in the coming years. There are already some signs of recovery in the Irish building market and whether the worst or best case scenarios are realised, we will be ideally positioned to manage the anticipated demand,” he added.
Tegral produces a range of slate and metal products and has been in Athy for more than 70 years. It is the largest employer in south county Kildare, currently employing 92 people and it is a major contributor to the local economy.
Tegral is a member of the ETEX Group, which is a Belgian industrial group specialising in the production and marketing of high-quality building materials and systems. The Group was founded over 100 years ago and now operates 123 production sites across 45 countries and employs more than 18,000 people worldwide.
Image Shutterstock