Another first for Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council is once again leading the way with its programme of investment after hosting the first-ever Made in Lisburn Castlereagh showcase in June.
Made in Lisburn Castlereagh
Hundreds of local school children along with SMEs, budding entrepreneurs and residents attended the highly successful ‘Made in Lisburn Castlereagh’ event, which saw industry leaders such as Assa Abloy, Smiley Monroe, Boomer Industries, Decora Blinds, Spanwall, Coca-Cola HBC, Montupet UK and PRM, alongside fast-growing SMEs such as Hughes Craft Distillery, McGreevy Engineering and Helios IT, exhibit their innovative products and job opportunities. Support agencies such as Invest NI, SERC and Industrial Temps were also on hand to offer support and advice.
Speaking about the event, the former Chairman of the Council’s Development Committee, Councillor Uel Mackin explains: “It was extremely rewarding to see how the Council has worked with the local business community and support agencies to create this wonderful celebratory event. Nowhere else will you see so many local businesses under the one roof to educate and inspire. We are so proud of our fantastic business base and this event was the perfect opportunity to highlight the talent and skill that we have in the Council area. We are the first council in Northern Ireland to host such an event and I have no doubt that others will follow in our footsteps.”
Chief Executive of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, Dr Theresa Donaldson paid tribute to all the businesses who took part in the ‘Made in Lisburn Castlereagh’ showcase paying special thanks to the event sponsors, Assa Abloy, Industrial Temps, Invest NI, McGreevy Engineering, SERC and Smiley Monroe. Dr Donaldson said: “It is hoped that the Made in Lisburn Castlereagh showcase will be an annual event adding to an already packed calendar of business and investment events for the Council.”
Time to Make the Move
Lisburn Castlereagh benefits from its advantageous strategic location on two key transport corridors within Northern Ireland, the North-South economic corridor and the East-West transport corridor. Given this strategic location, as well as excellent infrastructure and broadband speeds, there are significant opportunities to attract a wide range of investment.
Chairman of the Council’s Development Committee, Alderman Allan Ewart MBE, explains: “There is a tangible confidence in the area and with the announcement by Barclays that Lisburn Castlereagh is Northern Ireland’s number one investment hotspot together with the Department of Education revealing that pupils in the Lisburn Castlereagh area were most likely to go to university in 2016, there has never been a better time to ‘Make the Move’ to Lisburn Castlereagh.
“The Council is committed to supporting the local business community and encouraging inward investment and relocation to Lisburn Castlereagh. The efforts are certainly paying off and the Council is starting to see the results, with Lisburn Castlereagh now firmly on the map as an area for business and investment.
“Events such as the Made in Lisburn Castlereagh showcase demonstrate to the rest of Northern Ireland, and indeed a wider international audience, that we have the best location for business and with our business-friendly attitude anything can be achieved.”
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council was the first Northern Ireland council to exhibit at MIPIM UK in 2015 and will once again return to London in October 2017 when it will promote the area as Northern Ireland’s premier investment location.
