Strabane food oil company Frylite has created 25 jobs at a new plant in Lisburn, with plans to up headcount at the site to 60 in the coming years.

The move, part of a £2 million investment for the firm which supplies hospitality business with cooking oil, is in response to growing demand in the area which up until now had been serviced by its Strabane headquarters.

It already employs 230 staff at its bases in Coleraine, Cork, Dublin, Galway, and Strabane.

“For decades we have grown our client portfolio in and around the Belfast and Lisburn areas and those customers were serviced by our Strabane-based team,” Martin Gormley, Operations Director at Frylite said. “So, as our base grew, it made sense to open a new depot in that area.

“This not only allows us to be closer to our customers but it allows us to meet their daily needs in a shorter time frame with less travelling involved and that in turn has a better impact on the environment and improves our customer service. It’s an efficient business model that offers more competitive pricing for our customers too and we are very optimistic about the growth this will bring to the business.”

The opening comes as Frylite assigns 2021 as the year for its “green revolution” during which it has plans to use its oil products to produce fuel via Anaerobic Digestion. That process will allow it to power its fleet of vehicles and is just one of many green initiatives which will make it a carbon neutral business by 2030.

Eamon McCay, Managing Director, said the Frylilte Lisburn site has the capacity to grow considerably in the coming years.

“We also anticipate that the growth of our Food Waste Collection business and our oil and waste oils business will drive the need for a total of 60 new staff members who will work solely from the new base. It is great to be able to grow our business and that is testament to

the quality product and service that we offer customers who have

continued to support us and contribute to our growth.”

The Lisburn facility was designed by Manor Architects and built by

Woodvale Construction in conjunction with Frylite.

As well as operatives at the plant, including a plant manager, the company is also on the lookout for HGV drivers.