City firm to invest £215k and create four jobs

The company, based at Maydown, specialises in the design, manufacture and installation of quality signage for a wide range of clients in Northern Ireland, Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

Invest NI has offered £40,744 to enable the family-owned company to grow its business, especially in the Republic of Ireland, and towards the new jobs, which include one management post and will mean an additional £90,000 annually to the local economy.

Announcing assistance for Ascot’s export strategy, Des Gartland, Invest NI’s North West Regional Manager, said: “This is a successful local company which has already carried out significant contracts in Britain, Ireland and other parts of Europe.

“Our assistance will enable the company to carry forward this success by strengthening its marketing and other resources, particularly in the Republic of Ireland and Britain where new opportunities have been pinpointed.

“Ascot’s success is based on its strategic focus on offering clients across a broad range of business sectors a total service in the bespoke design, in-house manufacture and installation of signs. It has developed expertise in particular in the design and manufacture of disability access signage,” he added.

Andrew White, senior partner in Ascot Signs, commenting on the expansion, said: “This is an important investment for us and is designed to position the business for faster growth especially in the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain, which are key markets for us. Business we’ve completed in Britain subsequently led to contracts further afield, including Scandinavia.

“Strengthening our market presence in the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain will enable us to explore other opportunities that may develop over the next few years for our ‘one-stop-shop’ strategy. We recognise that the growth we want to achieve can really only be realised by investing greater time and resources in Britain and the Republic.

“Invest NI’s encouragement and assistance have been immensely beneficial and has included access to programmes such as Export-Start, Management Information Systems and the Technical Development Initiative,” he added.

Ascot Sign Systems is a long-standing family firm, with its origins over 80 years ago in the painting and decorating business. It now employs 25 people. In the last ten years it has evolved into a significant international player in the signage sector.