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Celebrating the opening of a €14 million facilities expansion

Grant Engineering welcomed Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to officially open its newly expanded facilities in Birr, Co. Offaly, representing a capital investment of €14 million.

The major expansion plans were announced in 2016 in response to increased demand for the company’s heating products on a local and international level.

In recent years Grant has enjoyed further success in Ireland, the UK and further afield including France, Greece and New Zealand and has diversified its product portfolio to meet the changing needs of its customers around the globe.

The new facilities include a state-of-the-art R&D innovation centre, a customer services centre, a dedicated training academy featuring an auditorium and training suite, and an extension to the existing manufacturing facilities which has also seen further investment in robotics and automation.

Speaking at the opening Leo Varadkar said: “My vision for the future of the (Ireland) Midlands begins with companies like Grant Engineering. They have developed a 21st century facility for state-of-the-art, environmentally efficient heating products for the 21st century. And with the right vision, the right policies, and the right investment, the future for the Midlands itself is bright.”

Grant Engineering founder, Stephen Grant, said: “We are delighted to be starting the new year with the opening of our new facilities. This investment demonstrates our commitment to innovation, growth and to the local economy. In recent years we have expanded into new markets and developed new products to meet the needs of our customer base.

“Our focus on sustainability continues to grow and to help achieve de-carbonisation, I believe that home heating fuel needs to follow in the footsteps of transport and transition to electric or 100% biofuel heating. This is impossible to do in the short to medium term in an affordable way. However the introduction of a ‘biofuel obligation’ for home heating could enable homes to become sustainable. We have future-proofed our products over the last five years so that they can operate using biofuel but to aid transition and further reduce emissions we need the support of fuel suppliers and the government.”

This investment demonstrates our commitment to innovation, growth and to the local economy

Julie Sinnamon, CEO, Enterprise Ireland said: “Enterprise Ireland has worked closely with Grant Engineering, both in Ireland and internationally since its establishment.

“Hugely important to the local economy, Grant Engineering is an excellent example of an innovative, regionally-based company with global ambition that has expanded its reach to build a robust business in the face of challenges like Brexit.

“This new R&D innovation and training facility will enable Grant Engineering to continue to grow, and we look forward to continuing our work with the team both here and through our international office network as they progress on this upward trajectory.”

Grant Engineering at peak season employs over 370 people in Ireland between full and part time roles and 80 in the UK.

www.grantengineering.ie