Following the meeting with local stakeholders at Invest NI’s office the minister visited Omagh Enterprise Company to meet the Chief Executive, Dr Nicholas O’Shiel, who was recently awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion (Honorary).
Speaking at Invest NI’s office the minister said: “Over the past five years, Invest NI has offered support to over 2,600 projects proposing to invest some £464million in the Fermanagh, Dungannon, Strabane, Omagh and Cookstown district council areas. Included in this is £141million towards 38 inward investment projects which are expected to create 1,921 new jobs.
“Businesses in all sectors and of all sizes, both locally-owned small and medium-sized enterprises and larger multi-nationals, have benefited from the wide range of support available from Invest NI.
“From the cluster of companies operating in the engineering, quarrying and screening sectors, including Terex, Fintec, CDE, and Chieftain Engineering, to the many food companies, such as Kerry Foods and Fivemiletown Creamery, there are examples of dynamic and progressive companies which are competing, and more importantly, succeeding in international markets.
“Equally, many of our local businesses which rely on tourism, such as Sperrin View Cottages, Castle Hume and the Fir Trees Hotel, are investing here to maximize the potential across the region.”
Following the meeting with Dr O’Shiel at Omagh Enterprise Company, the minister said: “Omagh Enterprise Company, under Dr O’Shiel, has made a major contribution to business start-up and growth in the Western Region. The efforts of Nicholas and his team, coupled with those of Invest NI, have resulted in over 3,400 offers of assistance being made to support the establishment of new businesses. These include 84 which were supported because of their potential, from an early stage, to sell outside Northern Ireland.
The minister concluded: “It is clear that initiatives, led by Invest NI in the Western Region to increase the number of new businesses, quality of employment and regional competitiveness, are contributing to the growth of the private sector business base in the west.”
Notes to Editors:
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