Hutchinson in Kilrea, which employs over 150 people, designs and manufactures equipment for use in sectors such as crushing and screening, recycling, agricultural machinery, coachbuilding, and electric and hydrogen vehicles.

Now it’s announced an investment in equipment to boost its productivity and enable it to create 57 new jobs in the next two years.

Economy Minister Conor Murphy welcomed the news during a visit to the company.

“Creating a more regionally balanced economy with more quality jobs are key pillars of my economic plan.

“I’m therefore delighted to see these new jobs being delivered in Co Derry, offering excellent employment opportunities to the local community.

“Hutchinson has invested heavily in recent years in technologies to boost its productivity and as a result has significantly increased capacity and turnover.

“Increasing productivity is essential for commercial success and, more widely, for driving up living standards.

“I’m also delighted to see that the company is balancing investment and growth with a commitment to be carbon neutral by the end of this year.”

The company’s investment in equipment includes a large laser cutter and robotic welding systems, supported by economic development agency Invest NI.

According to the Department for the Economy, the new jobs will contribute over £2m in additional annual salaries to the economy – an average of around £35,000 each.

Chief executive Mark Hutchinson said: “We are committed to continuous improvement and with Invest NI support have undertaken a range of projects with clients, universities and colleges.

“This has underpinned our growth trajectory and positioned us to expand our client base and target new clients outside of Northern Ireland.

“With this latest investment, our aim is to increase revenue to £30m by 2026 and during that time to create 57 quality jobs.

“As well as investing in technology we also invest in our people, offering ongoing training, career development and apprenticeships in our welding academy.”

Jeremy Fitch, Invest NI’s executive director of business growth group, said: “Invest NI has worked with Hutchinson over the last 25 years and since 2022 the company has been part of our scaling portfolio. We have encouraged it to continue its focus on growth and to look beyond Northern Ireland for new clients and opportunities.

“It has established itself as a world-class engineering company with ambitious growth targets and as such contributes to Northern Ireland’s reputation for manufacturing excellence.”