Japanese company Ryobi (
www.ryobitools.co.uk) has been praised for its economic contribution in County Antrim, where it employs nearly 500 people.
Its Carrickfergus plant specialises in aluminium castings for car industry giants including Jaguar Land Rover, Peugeot Citroen, Volkswagen, Audi and Skoda.
During a tour of the Carrickfergus site following the creation of a manufacturing task force to support the area’s big factories, local mayor Paul Reid said: “Ryobi is a jewel in Mid and East Antrim’s manufacturing crown.
"It has a strong working relationship with the council, and we look forward to building on that through the manufacturing task force.
"The council is committed to doing all that we can to work in partnership with our manufacturers and maintain our reputation as the engine room of the Northern Ireland economy.”
The area’s industrial base has faced setbacks, including the recent announcement of the closure of Kilroot Power Station in Larne, as well as up to 95 job losses at bus manufacturer Wrightbus in Ballymena.