The door to expansion has been flung open with a major investment in a construction sector business specialising in doors and windows just announced.

The Stormont Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster said that the £16m boost for a manufacturer of PVC doors, windows, conservatories and glass sealed units will create 225 new jobs over the next three years.

The new roles will be across a range of areas including sales and marketing, production, distribution, finance and administration.

The investment by the Antrim-based Camden Group - one of the UK and Republic of Ireland's largest firms in the sector - will see it undertaking a research and development (R&D) project aimed at boosting external sales by £20m over the next three years.

Invest NI has offered Camden over £1.6m, part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), as part of the expansion.

Camden is also investing in a new extrusion facility that will bring enhanced capability to the Northern Ireland manufacturing base and facilitate new product development.

DUP Minister, Arlene Foster said: "Camden's investment will result in a major technological advancement in profile extrusion and is a significant boost for the construction sector in Northern Ireland.

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"The project will create 225 new jobs generating wages and salaries in excess of £4m annually, which is welcome news for the local community and wider economy.

"Camden is among the many Northern Ireland companies that are focusing on new product and process innovation to enhance business performance. With support from Invest NI, Camden will streamline its manufacturing process and be best placed to gain new business," she said.

The new manufacturing process will enable the company to produce an innovative high performance window profile for the new-build housing market in Great Britain, which incorporates recycled material from within the business.

The firm will also introduce a technologically advanced web-based ordering and tracking system to strengthen its customer service levels.

Camden will also establish a new sales division to target opportunities in GB, and 24 of the 225 new posts will be high value sales and marketing posts.

Kieran Lavery, Managing Director of Camden Group said: "This investment is part of our strategy to double the level of sales outside Northern Ireland. The support offered from Invest NI will play a vital role in helping us to achieve this.

"We have identified significant opportunities in the GB new build housing market, particularly in South East England. The benefits gained from this project will place us in a strong and competitive position to win new business."

Brian Lavery, Commercial Director of Camden Group, said: "Our extended product range will offer market leading thermal insulation and will enable us to offer the levels of quality, price and service demanded by major house-building contractors.

"We recognise that investing in R&D will help us to maintain a leading edge in the construction sector and create a strong platform on which we can build our future projects."

The South Antrim Alliance MLA David Ford said: "This is great news for the local as well as the wider Northern Ireland economy.

"It shows that Northern Ireland is a good place for businesses to expand and invest in," said the Executive Minister.

(BMcC)