Over £55m to be invested in Mid Ulster economy, creating 450 new jobs across multiple sectors

Photo: Invest NI hosted a workshop at Hill of the O'Neill & Ranfurly House on Dual Market Access, in partnership with Mid Ulster District Council and Dungannon & South Tyrone Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Invest Northern Ireland has offered over £8m of financial support to Mid Ulster businesses which will lead to a total investment of more than £55m in the local economy.

179 businesses in Mid Ulster were offered support by Invest NI between April 2024 and April 2025, which will boost productivity, increase exports and innovation. The investments will also create more than 450 new jobs in the region, in sectors including advanced manufacturing and engineering, construction and financial services.

Ethna McNamee, Western Regional Manager at Invest NI, said: “The Mid Ulster area is home to a strong business base of SMEs in advanced manufacturing, engineering and agri-food. These ambitious companies are investing in projects to increase production capacity, reach new export markets and become more productive. This significant investment by local businesses will contribute to a resilient local economy and create more opportunities for local people.

“Regional balance is one of our strategic priorities and we want to see businesses of all sizes prosper. We are working closely with stakeholders such as Mid Ulster District Council, our further education colleges and local enterprise agencies as part of our work to drive the economy in this area.”  

Invest NI offered support towards 283 growth projects in Mid Ulster in 2024-25. This included 67 businesses investing in green initiatives to boost energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. 20 businesses were also assisted to begin exporting.  

FCC Fabrications in Dungannon, which manufactures a range of bespoke steel cabins and enclosures, is one business growing its exports. Managing Director, Conor McVeigh, said: “Invest NI has supported us to grow sales of our bespoke units in the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain, and to increase our capacity by recruiting more fabricators to our team. We’re now focusing on marketing our products, so we are appointing a Business Development Manager to help us increase our online presence and continue to grow sales in existing markets.” 

Another company driving export growth is Topframe Engineering, which announced it was investing almost £2m in a new 30,000 sq ft factory in Castledawson. The investment will enhance the company’s productivity, optimise operations and create 21 good jobs to accelerate growth.

As a result of the companies’ investments, 450 new jobs will be created in the area with roles including engineers, fabricators, machine operatives, managerial and professional roles.

Ethna added: “Our Western regional team is here to support businesses at all stages. Whether you’re looking for guidance on creating a business plan, need help identifying new markets outside Northern Ireland, or want to find out about cross border trade and investment opportunities, we would love to discuss how we might be able to partner with you.”  

Invest NI is running a Regional Business Advice Clinic at Cookstown Enterprise Centre on Wednesday 20 August from 10:00am-12:00pm to showcase the support available for local businesses. For more information visit investni.com