Factory extended
Apeer has announced the completion of a major expansion programme at the company’s six-acre Ballymena, Northern Ireland, site that includes showroom, training and production facilities in response to significant expansion across each of the company’s product ranges.
The work has been completed after 12 months and an investment of almost £500K.
An extension to the main factory of almost 10,000ft2 has expanded the Lumi production area to deal with the expanding sales of this award-winning window and door system. Since the trade launch of Lumi at the 2016 FIT Show, sales are forecast in the current year of £2.6 million with ambitious growth predicted ahead.
A showroom and dedicated training facility have also been completed for the purpose of inducting new customers and their staff. This impressive area includes a Lumi ‘house’ that allows the installation of Lumi windows and doors at ground and first floor levels, with a showroom set with typical interior scenes installed with Lumi windows and doors.
Apeer Doors sales, in the meantime, have been growing with a forecast 35% increase in the current year. A number of new products will be launched at the FIT Show in May, to further stimulate sales.
The existing production area has been grown by 9,000ft2 with an increase in both equipment and jobs. The extension brings the Apeer factory to 140,000 feet2, with plans to build a further 80,000ft2 factory and world class showroom within the next two years, in line with further anticipated growth of the Lumi line.
Apeer’s managing director Asa McGillian said: “Sales of Apeer composite doors have been growing steadily over a number of years now with sales in the current period actually ahead of the 35% predicted growth that we budgeted for 2017.
“And then we have Lumi, our window and door system. Sales for Lumi are now growing rapidly since our launch to the trade last April. This year, with a total of 14 trade but mostly consumer shows, we will be driving sales even harder and we need to be prepared for that.”
