New £1.75m headquarters opened at Kilwaughter Minerals Limited in Larne

Mineral processing firm Kilwaughter Minerals Limited has officially opened an impressive new £1.75m headquarters.
Finance Director, David Smith, joined by longest serving employee Alan Beggs who has enjoyed 32 years at Kilwaughter Minerals, and newest recruit to Kilwaughter, Pauline O'Loan.Finance Director, David Smith, joined by longest serving employee Alan Beggs who has enjoyed 32 years at Kilwaughter Minerals, and newest recruit to Kilwaughter, Pauline O'Loan.
Finance Director, David Smith, joined by longest serving employee Alan Beggs who has enjoyed 32 years at Kilwaughter Minerals, and newest recruit to Kilwaughter, Pauline O'Loan.

The 9,000 square foot modern facility at the company’s 75-acre site in Larne will connect to Kilwaughter’s thriving R&D facility and previously opened Centre of Excellence which focuses on innovative product development and customer training respectively.

The new building will also include open-plan office space for over 50 employees, a, welcoming canteen area, multiple meeting rooms and break-out areas to further enhance employee collaboration and cohesion.

Speaking at the official opening, Kilwaughter Minerals chief executive, Gary Wilmot, said: “As a leader in the UK construction and agriculture sectors and a responsible business here in Northern Ireland, we continually strive to invest in facilities and operations that will deliver benefit for both our customers and our employees.

Kilwaughter Minerals Chief Executive Gary Wilmot joined by Mid & East Antrim Mayor, William McCaughey, for the opening of new £1.75m Kilwaughter office building.Kilwaughter Minerals Chief Executive Gary Wilmot joined by Mid & East Antrim Mayor, William McCaughey, for the opening of new £1.75m Kilwaughter office building.
Kilwaughter Minerals Chief Executive Gary Wilmot joined by Mid & East Antrim Mayor, William McCaughey, for the opening of new £1.75m Kilwaughter office building.

“Our new building is testament to that commitment and will not only energise staff as they find themselves working in new-era, purpose-built surroundings, but will also serve as the home for harvesting ideas and developing exciting new products that will enhance our market leading position and ensure we continue to deliver excellence to our customers.”

The seven-figure investment is the latest step of an ambitious, post-pandemic growth strategy for Kilwaughter Minerals which serves several sectors, with products including through-colour renders, external wall insulation systems, soil health conditioning minerals and livestock bedding lime solutions to control bacteria.

Post-pandemic growth strategy

The jobs boost, announced in August this year, connects to the company’s strategic focus on employees and organisation capability.

The new production roles, which brought the overall number employed by the leading mineral processor to 200, followed unprecedented demand for Kilwaughter products as the economy rebounds following the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown.

Mayor, Councillor William McCaughey, said at the official opening “It is an honour to officially open this impressive new office space here at Kilwaughter Minerals. The company is not only a key employer here in the Mid and East Antrim borough but a catalyst for growth in the wider Northern Ireland economy.

“I am therefore thrilled to see it continue its investment in its facilities for the benefit of employees and customers alike, and very much look forward to seeing what Kilwaughter will achieve here in the future.”

Kilwaughter Minerals’ position as a key player in Northern Ireland is cemented not only by these latest significant investments but also by its recent ‘Stakeholder of the Year’ accolade at this year’s Social Enterprise NI Awards.

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