Safe move for fire testing company as they create jobs and expand into Carrickfergus

The move to the site at Kilroot will enable Efectis to expand its bespoke building and construction fire testing service. The company plans to create an additional 10 jobs over the next three years through the expansion.

Efectis specialises in fire safety testing and modelling, certification, education, research and inspection. The company already has existing premises at Ulster University, housed in the FireSERT Centre on the Jordanstown Campus and is part of a larger network with sites all over the world including France, the Netherlands and Turkey.

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Peter Johnston said: “Council is fully committed to supporting business growth and development, and promoting an environment that encourages and facilitates investment in our borough.

“The Economic Development team within Council were instrumental, assisting Efectis with their move into the Borough. We wanted Efectis to get off to the best possible start and the team will continue to support them as they develop links across a range of industries for new fire safety testing initiatives.

“Support was also provided through Council’s Business Escalator Programme. With the assistance of a business mentor, the company submitted an application for funding to Invest Northern Ireland and secured financial assistance for the recruitment of 10 new full time jobs over the next three years adding to 15 existing staff.

“With a strong export focus and increasing sales the company is an excellent addition to the Mid and East Antrim economy and we look forward to seeing their growth.”

Efectis UK and Ireland General Manager Talal Fateh continued: “The move to Kilroot Business Park represents a major investment for Efectis and is a sign of our commitment to a long-term future in Mid and East Antrim and Northern Ireland. With client demand for our service continuing to grow significantly in recent years, this move will enable us to increase resource and capacity to meet that demand, with the Kilroot unit providing a dedicated fire test site, this will facilitate more regular and larger scale testing. In particular, our new fire testing services will reduce current waiting times for testing within the construction industry – bringing increased efficiencies to construction planning.”

Tim Brundle, Director of Research and Impact at Ulster University added: “Ulster University’s Fire Safety Engineering Research and Technology Centre is internationally recognised for its research into fire safety.

“We’re delighted to be involved in this joint venture with Efectis, and thanks to our world-class facilities and researchers, we are making a significant contribution to the study of fire safety, expertise in testing, modelling, certification, inspection and education.”

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