Member Article

30 new jobs created by £1.8 million Wallsend investment

Thirty new jobs are expected to be created in Newcastle as part of a new £1.8 million investment in a new facility.

Barrier Group, the international coatings specialist based in Wallsend, has announced plans to build a new factory and office building.

The company is submitting plans for a 2,720 sq m facility on a two-acre site on Hadrian Way, close to its existing operation on the banks of the River Tyne.

The expansion is being supported by a £164k Regional Growth Fund grant secured through the Let’s Grow programme and is expected to create an additional 30 new jobs within the business.

Barrier was supported by North Tyneside Council, which helped to source a consultant who assisted with the application.

Subject to securing planning permission, Barrier, which owns the site, plans to start construction this year and begin operations in late spring of 2015.

The new facility will feature a 68m x 40m production hall with an attached office suite.

The production facility will include four overhead cranes with maximum tandem lift capacity of 40 tonnes.

Already employing in the region of 250 at its existing operation at Willington Quay and on client sites across the UK and abroad, the new facility will provide the company with further room to grow both in terms of size of projects and staff numbers.

Chairman Robert Bowles said: “Investing in this new facility is a clear demonstration of our confidence in the future growth of the business and the buoyancy of the offshore industries.

“North Sea oil and gas is seeing a considerable level of investment, which will provide considerable opportunities for companies like Barrier.

“In addition we are gaining a presence in the offshore wind market through our new rubber coatings products, which also has potential for the future.

“Our new premises will mark an exciting new chapter for the business and enable us to further build our position in the offshore market for a further 40 years and more.”

Barrier was formed in 1975 to carry out painting of structures to be installed as part of the growing North Sea oil industry.

The company has gone on to complete more than 200 major contracts, totalling millions of square metres of surface protection and has worked for most of the world’s major oil companies.

More recently the company has expanded its operations beyond the oil sector and the group now carries out passive fire protection, metal spraying, powder coating, architectural & insulation, and scaffolding across the offshore oil and gas, nuclear, marine and offshore renewable energy sectors.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Martin Walker .