One of NI's top grocery groups is to use some of its recession-beating profits to expand - and stimulate the beleaguered construction sector at the same time.

Co Antrim's Henderson Group will this year invest £33m from its £500m turnover in expansion and refurbishment plans to drive future growth.

Of this £33m, independent retailers will be supported by a £3m investment in local marketing, with an additional £6m spent by Spar UK nationally, marketing Spar.

However, another £14m will be invested in new warehousing and office accommodation for Henderson Foodservice at the main Mallusk site.

Pattons have been appointed contractors for the project, giving a much-needed boost to the construction industry.

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Building work is also being undertaken in several locations across NI with the Spar/BP forecourt site in Glengormley just demolished to make way for an expanded state-of-the art facility, which is due to open before Christmas.

That's despite expected competition from the UK's top supermarket chain, Tesco - which is planning a major redevelopment nearby that will include a cut-price petrol forecourt.

Patrick Doody, Sales and Marketing Director, Henderson Wholesale, said that Henderson Group had delivered another strong set of results - headlined by the turnover of £500m - despite tough trading conditions.

He told 4ni.co.uk that while Tesco is expanding aggressively, competition is "healthy" and that the fight has been joined with major work at the company-owned Spar forecourt at Glenwell Road in Glengormley.

Providing another boost for the local construction industry, he revealed: "We have knocked it down and will now rebuild it in an investment of almost £2m, for re-opening this winter," he said.

The family-owned company supplies 422 stores across Northern Ireland including the Spar, Eurospar, Vivo and Vivo Extra chains and employs more than 2,000 people across the province.

Its success last year resulted in Hendersons recruiting 40 new stores into the group.

See: Planners Provoke Forecourt War

(BMcC/GK)