Innovation in Mid & East Antrim at “sky high” levels

The Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor William McCaughey has described a Carrickfergus manufacturing firm as a “shining example of the wealth of world-leading innovation in Mid and East Antrim”.

Visiting IPC Mouldings recently, the Mayor said that the company is one of many indigenous firms that are putting the Borough on the map globally through their commitment to R&D and innovation.

Based in Kilroot Business Park, IPC Mouldings has established itself as a world leading supply chain excellence partner in the aerospace and medical sectors.  Delivering over 2.5 million parts per year to some of the leading aircraft seating manufacturers in the world, IPC Mouldings was recently awarded its third consecutive gold award as part of the ‘21^st Century Supply Chains Operational Excellence’ programme.

Like many organisations, IPC Mouldings was impacted by the global pandemic, however this gave the company the opportunity to rightsize and restructure the business. As a result, IPC Mouldings has emerged stronger and is recruiting across a range of disciplines including engineering, production moulding, CNC machining, administration, and apprenticeships.

The Mayor commented: “IPC Mouldings is a shining example of the world-leading innovation we have right here in Mid and East Antrim and, like so many local companies, is supplying its products to major manufacturers across the globe thanks to its commitment to excellence.

“On my visit today, I was hugely encouraged to see a local firm with such an extensive global footprint, built over many years through exports and a continued investment in research and development and innovation.”

The Mayor explained that Council has supported IPC Mouldings through a range of business support initiatives, additionally IPC is a dedicated member of the Manufacturing Task Force and recently was involved as a company participant in the Manufacturing Excellence Academy.

“As with all local businesses in the Borough, we remain committed to doing everything we can to support IPC Mouldings in the coming years as it continues its focus on creating capacity, investing in new machinery and expanding its production staff.”

 Managing Director of IPC Mouldings, Joanne Liddle, said: “We were honoured to welcome the Mayor of Mid and East Antrim to IPC Mouldings today.  It was a great opportunity for us to showcase the range of aircraft interior and medical products that we manufacture, as well as our skilled workforce and focus on innovation which has helped us diversify when existing markets were impacted by the pandemic.

“The support that we have received from Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and the networking and collaborative opportunities offered through the Manufacturing Task Force has been very helpful, assisting us with our company’s growth and development and ensuring that we add real value to not only the local Borough but the Northern Ireland economy.”