Copeland CEO Ross B Shuster
US manufacturing giant Copeland is expanding its production capacity at its Cookstown site with an investment of £19m, it announced today.
The company, based in Indiana, is a global provider of sustainable climate solutions and is aiming to meet increased European demand for low-carbon heat pumps.
This investment will include a 3,500 square metre expansion which will include new production lines at the Co Tyrone premises, which produces compressors.
Copeland says this will double the capacity of the site and increase the company’s flexibility to meet future demand.
Since launching in 1997, the Cookstown facility has enjoyed continuous and qualified growth and employs approximately 270 staff.
According to its latest accounts, Copeland Limited in Cookstown recorded pre-tax profits of £2.6m for the year ending September 30 2022, with a turnover of almost £75m.
The site has so far produced more than five million compressors to date while also developing several key innovations in the industry, including Copeland’s first transcritical CO2, low-sound and hydrocarbon R290 compressors.
Ross B Shuster, Copeland chief executive officer, said: “Cookstown plays a critical role in helping Copeland develop sustainable solutions that contribute to environmental protection, and this significant expansion will help meet Europe’s growing demand for heat pumps, which is crucial for helping customers and the world meet decarbonisation goals.
“This investment is an extremely important part of our manufacturing footprint and will help to secure a regional and resilient supply chain for our European customers.”
Copeland says the facility expansion will drive a new level of excellence for Copeland’s customers, helping meet demand for sustainable heating solutions, allowing the company to remain competitive with a focus on world-class quality and operational efficiencies while driving innovation.
It comes as Ulster Bank published its purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for April, which revealed manufacturing in Northern Ireland had its best month in just over two years with companies in nearly all sectors seeing a sharp rise in new orders.