Drain Master, the Antrim-based specialist in drainage services, has won its first deal in the US with help from Invest Northern Ireland. The company is supplying its innovative drain repair kits to a major client in Denver, Colorado.

The contract follows the participation of Charlotte Adair, a Drain Master founding Director, on a recent Invest NI trade mission which was supported by staff at the Northern Ireland Technology and Development Centre in Denver.

The contract for Drain Master's Localised Repair Kit (LRK), was announced by Mrs Adair, who formed the business in 1999 with husband Alan, and welcomed by Tracy Meharg, Invest NI Managing Director of Innovation and Capability Development. The LRK product provides a fast and reliable means to repair drainage pipes without the disruption of having to excavate pipelines.

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Mrs Adair says: "Taking part in the trade mission to Denver led to a contact with a senior executive of a major utility in the city. As it happened, he had been searching for a product that would enable drains to be fixed with the minimum of surface disruption.

"The Denver contact bought a trial kit and we provided initial on-the-ground training to his employees. The trial proved to be such a success that he quickly ordered a number of kits. Further orders have followed from Colorado."

In addition to support for the trade mission, Drain Master has also been assisted by Invest NI's North Eastern Regional Office in Ballymena.

Tracy Meharg says: "The US contact is a very substantial boost for Drain Master and has encouraged the company to look at how it can maximise the potentially huge business potential of its LRK product in the US and other international markets."

In addition to the assembly and marketing of the LRK product, Drain Master has an extensive business in Northern Ireland, Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland for its expert drain cleaning and unblocking services. It currently employs six people in Northern Ireland. Clients include the Department of the Environment (DoE), major construction companies and public utilities.

(GK/JM)