Derry companies invest £1.6m to create 21 jobs and drive global growth

Pictured (L-R) are Ciaran Devine, Workday Analyst, Phase X; Richard Lynn, Director, Creevagh Consulting Engineers; Aeidin McCarter, Head of Regional Business for the North West region, Invest NI; Keith Donaghy, Founder and Managing Director, Foodserve and Eamonn Downey, Workday Analyst, Phase X. 

FoodServe, Phase X Consulting, and Creevagh Consulting Engineers are investing £1.6 million across their businesses to grow exports and create 21 new jobs in the North West.

The investments will help the Derry-based companies increase productivity, strengthen capacity and unlock new opportunities across Ireland, Great Britain, Europe, the United States and the Middle East.

Aeidin McCarter, Invest Northern Ireland’s Head of North West Regional Business met with the companies at FoodServe’s headquarters in Derry. She said: “The North West has a strong track record of producing local businesses with the capability to win customers beyond Northern Ireland. Our team here in the North West has worked closely with these three innovative, ambitious businesses to support their growth as they invest in their people, expand their services and pursue exciting opportunities in new markets. The investments announced today will help create skilled jobs, strengthening each company's competitiveness and support the local economy. Their success will bring benefits not only to the businesses themselves, but to the wider economy.”

Invest NI has offered £289,989 of support towards  FoodServe, Phase X Consulting, and Creevagh Consulting Engineers’ investment plans. 

Foodserve, a provider of digital ordering, marketing and customer engagement platforms for restaurants and takeaways in the region, is investing £710,000 to expand its operations and product offering. The company will create 10 new jobs as it grows sales across Great Britain and develops opportunities in international markets including the United States and the UAE.

Keith Donaghy, Founder and Managing Director of Foodserve, said: “Innovation has been central to our growth from the outset and this investment marks an important step in the next phase of our development. By creating 10 new roles and continuing to enhance our technology platform, we will be well positioned to support more independent restaurants and takeaways, strengthen our presence across Britain and Ireland, and pursue opportunities in international markets.

“Invest NI has already helped us to strengthen our technology platform and build the foundations for growth. This latest support will help us accelerate our ambitions. As a company founded in Derry, we are proud to be creating skilled jobs in the North West while developing technology that helps food businesses grow and compete in a changing market.”

Phase X Consulting, a specialist provider of Workday integration, testing and reporting solutions based at Ebrington, is investing £512,000 in its business and creating six new jobs. With demand for Workday expertise continuing to grow, this investment will help the company strengthen its technical capabilities and increase capacity as it pursues further growth opportunities across Great Britain and Ireland.

Creevagh Consulting Engineers is investing £383,000 to increase capacity and create five new jobs. The company provides engineering design and consultancy services to clients across Ireland and Great Britain and is planning further growth in both markets.

The new roles across the three companies will include software developers, engineers, sales and marketing professionals, customer support staff and administrative positions.