130 jobs created after Bangor firm secures contract to supply PPE

By PA news

A total of 130 jobs have been created after a Bangor firm secured a £20 million contract to supply personal protective equipment (PPE).

Denroy, which manufactures specialist aerospace components, will supply FFP3 masks to Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland from its new facility in Bangor.

Economy Minister Diane Dodds and Health Minister Robin Swann visited the company on Wednesday and welcomed the investment and new jobs.

It comes after the aviation industry suffered a massive blow this week when a manufacturer of aircraft seating cut 180 jobs in Portadown and Banbridge.

Thompson Aero announced the redundancy programme on Tuesday.

Speaking about the job creation in Bangor, Ms Dodds said: “Over the last 50 years, the Denroy Group has become synonymous with innovation through its cutting-edge product development and manufacturing of specialist aerospace components and award-winning hair products.

Economy Minister Diane Dodds visited Denroy in Bangor today which has announced its creating 130 new jobs. The company repurposed from making aviation products to producing PPE face masks. pic.twitter.com/DD9jr0ANyN

— Q Radio News (@qnewsdesk) June 2, 2021

“Due to Covid-19, there has been an unprecedented global demand for PPE.

“Very early on in the pandemic, Denroy took decisive action and repurposed to manufacture PPE.

“The positive impact of this decision is clearly demonstrated by today’s announcement of new jobs and a contract that will provide PPE to our healthcare workers.

“The company has moved quickly and has already recruited all 130 jobs and hopes to grow further.

“These new roles will contribute £3.7 million in additional annual salaries to the local economy.”

Mr Swann said: “At the outset, the Covid-19 pandemic caused us to think very differently about how to tackle many issues.

“We had to urgently consider how best to meet the challenge of protecting our health and social care staff while safely treating Covid-19 patients.

“The demand for PPE in the first surge of the pandemic placed tremendous strain on the health service in Northern Ireland.

“My procurement officials put a call out to local manufacturing, with Invest NI, to support the supply of critical PPE items.”

 (Quality technician Lisa McBride (right) demonstrates Denroy products to Economy Minister Diane Dodds (left) and Health Minister Robin Swann (second left).  Chief Executive of Invest NI, Kevin Holland and Chief Executive Officer of Denroy Group, Kevin McNamee, watch on)

Denroy’s FFP3 single-use mask was designed by the company’s aerospace engineers and filters 99% of particles from the air, including the small respiratory droplets where coronavirus can be found.

The masks will be used by frontline workers across Northern Ireland, from intensive care staff to community care staff.

Denroy Group chief executive Kevin McNamee said: “We are proud of our staff and of our ingenuity over the last year, and the contribution we made during a time of national crisis.

“Our plans are to grow our business further, create more jobs and build on this contract in our target markets of Republic of Ireland, Great Britain and the United States in the coming year.”

(Health Minister Robin Swann (second left) and Economy Minister Diane Dodds (second right) welcome announcement of 130 new jobs and £19m PPE contract for Denroy. They are joined by (from left) Chief Executive Officer of Denroy Group, Kevin McNamee, Chief Executive of Invest NI, Kevin Holland and the Chair of Denroy Group, John Rainey)