Kitchen firm opens production plant

KITCHEN and bathroom pod manufacturers Delta Off-Site Solutions launched a new production facility in Macroom, Co Cork yesterday.

The 130,000sq ft manufacturing centre was officially opened by Enterprise, Trade and Employment Minister Micheál Martin.

The company, launched three years ago, employs over 200 people at its facilities in Macroom and Cobh. It will turn over more than €22 million this year and sources around 75% of materials from Irish vendors.

The company announced yesterday it had achieved second-round funding of over €8m from shareholders, its executive management team and Ulster Bank. The funding will strengthen the company’s balance sheet and allow it to take full advantage of British and Irish markets.

Delta Off-Site Solutions achieved a turnover of €10.8m last year and has a full order book of business until the end of the year.

Delta’s new base is on the site of the former GSI plant in the mid-Cork town which experienced the loss of over 600 jobs four years ago. Mr Martin yesterday rejected suggestions that a previous project announced for the same site, by pharmaceutical company Elan, had been an election stunt.

Taoiseach Mr Ahern announced details of the Elan project in Macroom four weeks before the 2002 General Election, but the plans were subsequently abandoned.