Antrim firm, Jans Group, confirms £50m ambitious growth and recruitment drive, creating over 150 Jobs

Firm announces £10m investment and branches out with four new companies...and doubling their existing workforce
Anne Marie McCartney, CFO and Jans Finance, Jeff McMullan, Jans Composites, Ronan Hamill, CEO, Edel Doherty, Offsite Solutions, Peter Drayne, group director, Neil Jarvis, Jans Lifestyle, Stephen Reid, group commercial director and Gerard Calvin, EtruxAnne Marie McCartney, CFO and Jans Finance, Jeff McMullan, Jans Composites, Ronan Hamill, CEO, Edel Doherty, Offsite Solutions, Peter Drayne, group director, Neil Jarvis, Jans Lifestyle, Stephen Reid, group commercial director and Gerard Calvin, Etrux
Anne Marie McCartney, CFO and Jans Finance, Jeff McMullan, Jans Composites, Ronan Hamill, CEO, Edel Doherty, Offsite Solutions, Peter Drayne, group director, Neil Jarvis, Jans Lifestyle, Stephen Reid, group commercial director and Gerard Calvin, Etrux

County Antrim-based, Jans Group has announced a major expansion and £10m investment that has seen the establishment of four new companies and the creation of over 150 new local jobs by June 2022 – doubling the company’s existing workforce.

In 2019 Jans acquired a composites business from the Wright Group and established a new home in an impressive 10,000 metres square facility in Caulside Drive, Antrim.

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This provided the scope to significantly expand business operations during the Covid challenged 2020.

Ronan Hamill, CEO with Peter Drayne, group director of Jans GroupRonan Hamill, CEO with Peter Drayne, group director of Jans Group
Ronan Hamill, CEO with Peter Drayne, group director of Jans Group

The Group developed multiple products during this period, building on excellent engineering and technical knowhow within the company.

At the start of 2021 and with order books open for the new products, the Group’s Board decided to launch four new companies to allow for accelerated growth of each of their product lines.

Each business was established with leading industry based managers and these managing directors began building a strong team with a customer centric focus with innovation at its core.

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Building on the strong advanced materials and transport knowledge, Etrux Ltd, a sustainable focused lightweight commercial vehicle business was formed to bring an evolution to lightweight, high quality commercial vehicles, while establishing a manufacturing base in Antrim and a sales and leasing team in England.

Gerard Calvin, MD of Etrux, Anne Marie McCartney, CFO and MD of Jans Finance, Neil Jarvis, MD of Jans Lifestyle, Edel Doherty, MD of Offsite Solutions and Jeff McMullan, MD of Jans CompositesGerard Calvin, MD of Etrux, Anne Marie McCartney, CFO and MD of Jans Finance, Neil Jarvis, MD of Jans Lifestyle, Edel Doherty, MD of Offsite Solutions and Jeff McMullan, MD of Jans Composites
Gerard Calvin, MD of Etrux, Anne Marie McCartney, CFO and MD of Jans Finance, Neil Jarvis, MD of Jans Lifestyle, Edel Doherty, MD of Offsite Solutions and Jeff McMullan, MD of Jans Composites

The next business established was Jans Off Site Solutions LTD, which constructs modular buildings for the leisure and residential market.

With a growing customer base across these product businesses, Jans Finance was launched to support their clients in uncertain times with various purchase and leasing options which has proven a key to driving these two companies forward.

Elsewhere and to further enhance the customer experience and market reach, Jans then launched a retail offering in Boucher Road, Jans Lifestyle Ltd, which provides an outlet for existing product ranges but also develops a unique customer experience with camper van sales and rentals, garden rooms and a full range of lifestyle products, which is aimed at enhancing people’s quality of life in the great outdoors.

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Ronan Hamill, CEO of Jans Group, said: “In 2019, there was an opportunity to take what we did and create something much bigger which was rooted in the community. This opportunity has grown exponentially with the formation of various companies under the Jans Group brand, which includes our initial company, Jans Composites. We expect these companies to perform very well in the future and have set an ambitious target to achieve a £50 million turnover in the next five years.

Ronan Hamill, CEO of Jans GroupRonan Hamill, CEO of Jans Group
Ronan Hamill, CEO of Jans Group

“Our main aim behind the establishment of Jans Group was to broaden our customer base, bring innovative new products to market and build a business that would support the livelihood of those who work there. Occasionally, those towns outside Belfast can be forgotten about but we want to make Antrim a centre for innovation, creativity, opportunity, and expansion. We know that Antrim and the surrounding districts have very skilled workers, and our desire is to provide a working environment that is progressive, forward thinking and innovative for those people.”

Since its establishment in 2019, Jans Group has experienced solid progression and Ronan believes the Group’s innovation will help drive its projected future growth.

Ronan added: “In terms of innovation, we’re leading the way with our electric commercial vehicles, smart lodges and light weight composites. Likewise our sales of our camper vans in particular have been performing very well.

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“We also own the largest CNC cutting machine in Northern Ireland which can manufacture large parts for our products. We are very excited for the future of Jans Group and for what this will deliver for the Antrim community in terms of jobs and bolstering the local economy.”

The Jans Group has a number of positions currently available from operations, finance to purchasing. More details can be found at janscomposites.com/careers/

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