A Quinn lorry on the road near the Quinn Cement Plant at Ballyconnell RMG15
QUINN CEMENT has taken a major step forward this week with the announcment that much of its export business to England will now go through a new facility in Warrenpoint rather than by its traditional roadfreight route via Dublin and Holyhead.
The signing of a multi-million pound contract wil see the construction of five new cement silos at Warrenpoint Harbour in Co Down with a total storage capacity of 7,500 tonnes dedicated to the export of bulk cement from the Quinn Cement operations in Ireland.
The move will make big savings for the company which has been shipping an ever increasing amount of cement to England using established ferry companies. It is expected that this major investment will create dozens of jobs and drive significant investment in Derrylin and Ballyconnell.
The ten-year renewable agreement between Quinn Cement and Warrenpoint Harbour Authority (which underpins the £2.5m investment) is a major statement of intent by both parties and will assist Quinn Cement in significantly expanding its operations in the UK while at the same time providing additional long-term throughput at the harbour.
Approximately 20 people will be employed during the project build phase at Warrenpoint and the increased export capacity for Quinn Cement will secure and increase job-opportunities at Quinn’s facilities in Ballyconnell and Derrylin. Work on the project is due to commence immediately with completion expected in September of this year.
The investment comes just over a week after serious allegations were made about Quinn Industrial Holdings Ltd, the holding company for Quinn Cement. In a series of posts on Facebook the Concern Irish Citizens group claimed the company had “gone to the dogs” with no money being spent of equipment like dumpers and raw materials.
Tuesday’s announcement seems to point to a company in rude health.
The commencement of work on the Warrenpoint facility is one half of a larger strategic development by Quinn Cement aimed at increasing its presence in the UK cement and construction markets.
The company is also currently in the process of extending its storage and distribution centre in England at Crown Wharf, Rochester, Kent, where it is constructing two additional storage silos bringing its total capacity to 7,400 tonnes. Construction of that extension is due to be completed at the end of March. Additionally Quinn Cement is in discussions with regard to setting up a second import facility in Great Britain.
CEO of Quinn Industrial Holdings Liam McCaffrey expressed his delight at the news:
“This is a very significant development for the business which will allow us to provide an even stronger service offering to our UK customers as well as creating additional local job-opportunities servicing the growing UK construction sector. We are delighted to be associated with Warrenpoint Harbour Authority who have been extremely good to work with. I believe this is a strong message of confidence for both our organisations, the local economy generally and a clear demonstration of commitment to our customers.”
Peter Conway, CEO of Warrenpoint Harbour Authority added:
“This new ten-year agreement and capital investment project consolidates an already excellent business relationship between Warrenpoint Port and Quinn Cement and creates a significant economic benefit for the Harbour and the Northern Ireland economy. The Harbour Authority looks forward to working in partnership with Quinn Cement in further growing this export volume in the years to come.”
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