Write a commentNewry based business HBE has today expanded into new premises on the Millvale Road just outside Newry, following growth investments supported by Invest Northern Ireland, which included the creation of 24 new jobs.
HBE (Healthy Built Environment) owned by Newry man, Adrian Byrne and Carlow man Pat McDonald is a leading health, safety and compliance consultancy focused on growing its client base across Ireland and Great Britain. The company has benefited from a range of Invest NI support in recent years, particularly with job creation, marketing activities and developing compliance management software.
Speaking at the official opening of the new premises, Invest NI’s Director of Advanced Engineering and Construction, Damian McAuley said: “HBE is a niche business with steadily increasing sales and this move to bigger premises marks an important milestone in the growth of the company. The 24 additional technical, administration and management roles created at the business over the past few years have given HBE the boost in resources needed to meet its customer demands.
“The investments HBE has made in marketing, leadership development and technology with Invest NI support have also been valuable in positioning HBE competitively so that it can build on its success.”
Invest NI has offered the business £276,000 over the past four years towards its business development activities, including employment grants of over £200,000 to support the creation of 24 new jobs.
HBE is recognised by businesses all over the UK and Ireland as a leader in helping organisations provide a healthy and compliant built environment. Its customers include government, healthcare, social housing, education, hospitality and pharmaceutical organisations as well as major facilities and property management companies.
Speaking about the company’s expansion and official opening, Adrian Byrne, Managing Director of HBE said: “The market for our services has continued to grow, largely due to legislative pressures, and we are working hard to develop a range of products and services to help our customers manage their built environments.
“With Invest NI’s support, we’ve concentrated on developing the GB market and expanding our team of highly experienced consultants. We’ve also extended our network of offices to include Glasgow, Liverpool and London.
“Our move into much larger premises is an important milestone in our company’s history. Over the past three years, with the introduction of our health & safety services, coupled with our growth in other areas, we have effectively doubled our team to over 125 staff.
“In planning for the future, we knew that we needed additional space for both our planned growth, as well as the launch of a series of technology related projects which are due for release next year. We are committed to growing our business from Newry and with the continued support of a fantastic local team, we are looking to the future with increased optimism.”
