Roco to expand Crossmaglen factory in £2.5m investment

A Crossmaglen manufacturer of mobile crushing and screening equipment is to create 30 new jobs and invest £2.5m in expanding its factory. The announcement follows £8m in export sales secured by Roco over the past 12 months.

The investment will double the company's headcount, increasing capacity and productivity at the Crossmaglen facility. Roles in production, design, finance and sales are available, with seven of the 30 posts already filled.

Roco's hybrid electric machines are used in the construction, quarrying and recycling industries to reduce rubble and screen materials into various sizes. The equipment is currently sold in Ireland and Britain, as well as the US and European markets.

Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald visited the Crossmaglen factory to mark the announcement. She said: "Roco's export success shows how local firms can compete on the global stage. This investment will boost productivity, create high-quality jobs in Crossmaglen and help strengthen the local economy, supporting my vision of a more regionally balanced economy."

Shane Connolly, Roco CEO, said the expansion would allow the company to take more assembly production work in-house. "To grow our business we need to improve the quality of our products and reduce our lead times. We've realised that to do this, we need to expand our facility and our workforce, to bring more assembly production work in-house."

He added: "This will not only improve our efficiencies but also our productivity. We will be able to double the amount of machinery options we offer so that we can attract even more new customers in international markets following our recent export wins."

Invest NI has offered £210,000 in support towards the creation of the 30 jobs. Alistair Quinn, Invest NI's Head of Southern Regional Business, said the agency had worked with Roco since 2020 to build its capability and open up international markets, including support to attend trade events in the US.

He said: "It's great to support the company to double its Crossmaglen workforce now. Along with the support to grow its headcount, our trade team has connected Shane with our in-market teams in the US and Middle East to develop opportunities in Mexico, Europe and Asia. We're looking forward to seeing where this investment takes the company next."

MLA Aoife Finnegan has also welcomed the investment. Speaking after visiting the factory with party colleague Dáire Hughes MP and the Economy Minister Finnegan said: “The £2.5m investment in Roco will create 30 high-quality jobs in Crossmaglen, see the factory expand and double the company’s headcount to increase capacity and productivity, which will strengthen the local economy.