Sterling Fluid Systems, part of the Dutch TBG group, is investing £528,000 sterling in a new purpose-built service centre in Belfast, where it will repair, refurbish, and maintain industrial pumps and fluid handling systems.
The company employs around 380 people in the design, manufacture and supply of pumps and fluid handling systems for a range of industrial applications, including the processing of chemicals, oil, sludge, and waste water, and in fire protection systems. It has more than 50 wholly-owned operations around the world.
Meanwhile, the Portadown company Uniplas is to invest almost £1 million sterling to expand production of its lightweight plastic piping for the cable television market. Its managing director, Mr Bill Tosh, said that the expansion would put the company in a good position to develop and exploit new opportunities.
"The plastic pipe industry is undergoing enormous change with the development of new products with improved design and performance," Mr Tosh said. "We believe that the twin-wall pipe, along with our innovative water pipe range, represents a new generation of value-added products for which there is a growing demand throughout the UK and Ireland."
Uniplas, which employs 70 people, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of UP Holdings, which was set up in August 1996 by the management of the former plastics division of Unidare plc, with the support of the venture capital company Hambro NI.
The investment is being supported by a grant of £178,600 from the IDB.
