Recruitment for new jobs to begin soon

Recruitment for 61 new jobs announced by Derry engineering firm, Global Equipment Spares Limited (GES), is expected to get under way soon, the company have said.
Barry O'Neill, Sales Director of GES; John McClenaghan, Managing Director of GES, Invest NIs Executive Director of Business & Sector Development, Jeremy Fitch and Des Gartland, Regional Director of Invest NI.  Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.Barry O'Neill, Sales Director of GES; John McClenaghan, Managing Director of GES, Invest NIs Executive Director of Business & Sector Development, Jeremy Fitch and Des Gartland, Regional Director of Invest NI.  Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.
Barry O'Neill, Sales Director of GES; John McClenaghan, Managing Director of GES, Invest NIs Executive Director of Business & Sector Development, Jeremy Fitch and Des Gartland, Regional Director of Invest NI. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.

The Campsie based firm announced yesterday that it is more than doubling its workforce over the next three years as part of a strategy to grow its export sales six-fold.

With support from Invest Northern Ireland, GES is investing £1.9m to upgrade its facility, purchase new machinery and create 61 new jobs across a range of roles, most of them engineering posts.

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GES currently employs 57 people and manufactures products from high strength and wear resistant steels for a range of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

Their products are used in quarrying, mining, construction and agricultural sectors across Britain, Ireland the EU and the US.

Speaking at the GES headquarters yesterday, Barry O’Neill, Sales Director of GES, told the ‘Journal’ that the company would be advertising for new recruits in the near future.

The company now plans to increase exports to the North American and European markets, he said, adding: “We are going now six years and initially there were four people. We had a small workforce and from that now we have grown now to over 50 people here.

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“The industry is growing. Our success over the last six years shows that there is potential. We certainly have the capacity and the specialised skills, especially in engineering.”

Mr. O’Neill said the quality of the graduates coming out of Northern Ireland’s universities and colleges was “testament to be the base of engineers we have here and that is helping Northern Ireland remain as the leading exporter of crushing and screening machines.”

Mr. O’Neill said the majority of the new posts will be engineering-related, with three posts in procurement and another two in sales.

Announcing the new investment yesterday, Invest NI’s Executive Director of Business & Sector Development, Jeremy Fitch said: “Invest NI’s offer of £396,000 is enabling GES to undertake growth development plans aimed at positioning the business so that it can manufacture and export more components, particularly into North America.

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“The 61 new jobs being recruited over the next three years range from manufacturing roles to procurement and sales positions and will generate £1.3million annually in additional salaries.

“GES’ investment marks a significant step change for the small business as it seeks to scale up its production capabilities to meet the growing opportunities for its products outside Northern Ireland.”

GES’ customers include major materials handling businesses such as Terex, Telestack, Sandvik and McCloskey International, as well as global companies such as Kleemann Wirtgen, Astec Industries and Kuhn Farm Machinery.

John McClenaghan, Managing Director of GES, said: “This expansion is part of a strategy to grow sales and increase both our workforce and our product offering to meet identified opportunities within new and existing markets.

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“We have set ourselves a challenging target for new export business and will be focused on leveraging our reputation in the industry to secure new customers.

“Invest NI’s support is allowing us to fully implement our growth plans and create valuable employment opportunities across a range of disciplines in the North West.”

Invest NI’s support is part funded by ERDF under the EU Investment for Growth and Jobs

Invest NI has offered GES funding to support its investment in new equipment and the recruitment of 61 new jobs.

Recruitment opportunities are expected to be advertised through Global Equipment Spares Limited’s website at www.ge-spares.com and via their Facebook and Twitter pages.