Factory to expand

Radius Systems, which has a plant in the Halfpenny Valley Industrial Estate, have applied for permission to expand their Portadown Road premises.

The planning application states that they intend to extend “an existing production facility to include additional production area, offices and an external storage unit”.

The company is currently restructuring its UK operations, which has resulted in a number of factory closures and job losses.

One of the factories which will be closed by the end of this year is the Radius plant in Banbridge.

It’s not known if any jobs will be created by the extension of the Lurgan factory, but the company said it intends to make “key investments” in Lurgan.

On the company’s website, Radius Systems CEO Stuart Godfrey said: “The decisions were not taken lightly, and only after very careful analysis of the current and future needs of the business with the intention of ensuring that Radius Systems holds its position as one of the most competitive, and innovative, suppliers of plastic pipe systems for infrastructure markets.”

He continued: “The proposed development of our two retained factories, coupled with enhanced investment, will enable us to service effectively the demands of the UK. The business also retains sufficient capacity, and flexibility, to continue to grow its market volume within the region”.

Mr Godfrey added: “Whilst it is deeply regrettable that a restructuring of the business results in job losses, these changes are necessary to maintain our competitiveness, the key to ensuring we have a bright future in both the manufacturing and infrastructure sectors in the United Kingdom.”

No one at Radius Systems was available for further comment as the ‘MAIL’ went to press.