Omagh-based Naturelle Consumer Products is to invest over £1 million to develop sales of its high visibility garments and hygiene products in an expansion that is expected to provide 27 new jobs. Announcing the investment at the company's Mountjoy Road factory, where 124 people are currently employed, Leslie Ross, Industrial Development Board (IDB) Chief Executive, said: "This ambitious company, which is experiencing impressive growth when the United Kingdom textiles industry is contracting, has pinpointed further business opportunities in the technical textiles sector.

"The investment will enable the company, a specialist in non-woven fabrics, to push forward in areas of its business that have high growth opportunities - high visibility protective clothing and disposable wipes including a new clean room product, that has developed following an R&D project part funded by the Industrial Research and Technology Unit.

"It will establish Naturelle in a strategically important position as the only manufacturer of clean room wipes in Ireland and enable it to bid for business from semiconductor and pharmaceuticals manufacturers particularly in the Republic of Ireland.

"Another significant aspect of this investment is its focus on technical textiles, a growth sector in the Kurt Salmon Report commissioned by IDB and published in 2001."

Naturelle Consumer Products has been offered Selective Financial Assistance of £160,000 by IDB towards the cost of the investment.

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