BELFAST: Building product makers, Larsen Building Products is recruiting additional workers and adding another production shift to expand production.
Larsen reported a 14% increase in turnover at its Belfast plant producing a variety of products used in tiling, flooring and rendering.
Peter McGill, managing director said investing £8m in a new plant had given the company a competitive edge. "It's the most sophisticated in Ireland, and there are only one or two others to match it in the whole of the UK," he said.
He said it had also allowed Larsen to survive the virtual disappearance of its market in the Republic of Ireland. "We are not really looking for any more business down there at the moment. We are concentrating on consolidating our business in Northern Ireland, which is a difficult enough market as well."
He remains concerned about the possible effects of the cutbacks in public sector spending. "We have supplied our products to projects in Downpatrick, Kilkeel, and Portadown, and we're currently working on renovating the market square in Crewe and on a project in Dundee for the city council.
"But I would be concerned that these are the kind of projects that might be affected by the cutbacks, as might some of our work on major housing developments," he said.
