Building Firm Opens New Headquarters

Western Building Systems' new HQ has been officially unveiled.

The new premises is the centrepiece of a £2m expansion programme which has seen the Co Tyrone manufacturing and administrative facilities consolidated into one site at Coalisland's Mountjoy Road.

The group has a number of divisions and has a multi-million pound turnover and operates from a purpose-built manufacturing base.

It is best known for work within the education and health sectors, but the firm's skillbase and experience also covers commercial, leisure and residential builds.

Now, the 8,000 square metres, purpose-built panelised development is to develop the firm further in a location that incorporates new offices, staff areas, a showroom and production facilities, and almost doubles the existing capacity at Mountjoy.

This final phase of the two-year expansion, signalled by the official opening of its new HQ, incorporates new spaces including production facilities for its Park Homes division, a recently acquired timber frame company and a new windows and furniture manufacturing centre.

The new HQ has been designed with the visitor in mind and includes a number of meeting facilities, a new reception and is characterised by bright open spaces flooded with natural light.

According to founder, Martin McCloskey the single site location will enable each of the various divisions to work even closer together to provide truly integrated construction solutions.

He also believes Western has invested in its new facility at just the right time: "The market has been extremely tough, but I get the real feeling that we've turned the corner.

"We pride ourselves in our versatility, and because we have invested recently in Mountjoy and diversified into new sectors, we can be much more responsive as fresh opportunities arise.

"Over the coming months we will be competing for a range of new projects throughout the UK and Ireland and I believe that our strong experience, coupled with the undoubted skill of our workforce, will enable us to compete effectively in what is unquestionably a tough business development environment," he said.

(BMcC/GK)