IPC Mouldings invests in new machinery and creates eight jobs

County Antrim firm IPC Mouldings (IPC) has announced further investment with the purchase of new machinery, a new IT system and the creation of eight new jobs over the next 12 months to help sustain growth.

Set up in 1994 by industry-leading technical experts, with now over 23 years’ experience IPC Mouldings operates primarily in the aerospace and medical sectors. Using advanced engineering polymers and processing techniques. The company is an SC21 Silver award winner and AS9100 accredited provider of technical solutions for global industries.

IPC Mouldings continues to grow through its focused approach to customer service and relationships, ensuring that an innovative and solutions based approach achieves excellence and value add for its customers.

The company invested £250k in new machinery during 2017, recently purchasing another 100 tonne injection mould machine to facilitate a new medical industry contract and a much larger 700 tonne injection mould machine to increase the size of its offering and position IPC Mouldings for further new business. This is in addition to the recent implementation of a MRP system which will ensure data analysis can be utilised improve efficiencies in its processes.

Keen to sustain a future for the next generation of engineers, Joanne Liddle, managing director of IPC Mouldings, said: “IPC is a successful and well established performance driven company working within highly regulated industries. As we continue to grow and diversify we continue to invest, in our people, our machinery and new technology.

“Invest Northern Ireland has offered us a range of support to help us grow our team and we are delighted that the first four of our new employees are coming from Michelin in Ballymena. These are highly motivated, well trained individuals with some excellent transferrable skills who are very employable. We have implemented in house training programmes so that they can get up to speed with IPC manufacturing processes as soon as possible.”

Bill Montgomery, Invest NI’s Director of Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering, said: “Invest NI has a well-established relationship with IPC Mouldings and it’s great to see the company’s continued progress in a number of high value sectors. This investment has allowed the business to recruit new employees and ensure that its growth is sustained.

“IPC has an excellent record of export sales in the aircraft interiors market and contributes to Northern Ireland’s reputation for manufacturing excellence in the global aerospace sector. Additionally, securing new business in the medical sector will help the company in another fast growing industry.”

The UK aerospace sector has the largest number of SMEs in Europe with strengths in design and manufacture. The sector directly employs 120,000 people in the UK, delivering high value jobs for a highly skilled workforce, and supports a further 118,000 jobs indirectly.

With production rates rising around the world and 2016 setting new records for aircraft deliveries, UK aerospace output has grown by 39 per cent since 2011, with annual turnover now reaching nearly £32bn. IPC is primarily involved in the aircraft interiors industry and one of only 39 UK companies achieving SC21 Silver Award.

Injection Moulding plastic market is expected to reach $162 billion, globally, by 2020 (Allied Market research) registering a GAGR of 4.9% from 2014 – 2020. Healthcare is to be the fastest growing end use industry segment.

Joanne concluded, “It is an exciting time for the business and with the continued commitment and focus of our staff we are confident that our goals will be reached, if not surpassed.”