Manufacturing jobs boost for north coast

JMF Metal Fabrications on the Frosses Road is investing around £300,000 in a new Durma Press Brake Machine - the only one of its kind in the whole island of Ireland. The new machine supplied by Lister Machine Tools will have the capacity to fold huge 12 metre-long plate material of various thicknesses and will be one of the largest in the UK too.

Facilities Manager Stephen McIlwrath said that the investment will “open up a “massive new client base” to the Ballymoney firm which employs in the region of 240 people, many from the Coleraine area.

“This new press brake will mean that we can now fold up to 12 metres of various grades of plate material which is what our customers are asking for - bigger products for their projects,” explained Stephen.

“The investment increases our folding capabilities to 1200 tonne. Many of our clients want larger products for projects such as the quarrying and generator sectors to allow for greater production capacity and growth in their businesses. There is a big market within the BRIC countries such as India, Brazil and Russia as well as rapidly growing markets in New Zealand and Australia.”

“We will initially need three people to work on the new press,” added CNC Machine Manager Grant Hassan. “Then if we move to different shifts that will double to six, then up to nine. It will also create additional jobs throughout rest of the company in areas such as CNC Profiling, Fabrication, Welding and Powder-Coating.”

The investment is another positive step forward for JMF Limited in its Press Brake Technology.