Aggregate Industries, the Swiss owners of one of Northern Ireland’s biggest cement operations, has sold the business to Cookstown Cement for an undisclosed sum.
The sale includes all the businesses of Lafarge Cement Ireland, including a cement plant with production capacity in excess of 450,000 tonnes a year in Cookstown, a limestone quarry also in Cookstown, a shale quarry in Dungannon and an import export facility in Belfast Harbour.
The new owner’s said they plan to invest £12 million to upgrade the facilities across the company to improve efficiency and environmental credentials.
Cookstown Cement is co-owned by managing director David Millar, a former executive of Lafarge, and LCC Group, one of Northern Ireland’s biggest companies which specialises in coal and other fuels. Mr Millar said staff were informed of the acquisition last week.
He said the purchase is an opportunity to bring a new approached to a well-established business.
“We have acquired a great company with a strong team and excellent products and the investment we are making will allow us to expand further in the years to come. The staff were informed of the acquisition on Friday past and in the coming days I will be meeting the team and our customers and suppliers and telling them more about the investment in the business and processes we are going to make.
“While some change is inevitable and environmental improvements are essential, my aim is to very quickly create a solid foundation for the business to grow as the construction industry evolves. This is a new beginning for this Tyrone-headquartered business and I am very much looking forward to getting started.”
