Worth almost £15 million annually, the deal with an emerging transmission supplier specialising in electrified drivetrains, will see the manufacturer produce 150,000 clutch and transmission cases per year for new hybrid vehicles commencing 2023.
Managing director, David Watson said: “This is an exciting project which was won against stiff competition from across mainland Europe. Ryobi’s growing reputation in the development of new technically challenging products is what sealed this deal after a lengthy bidding process. This is testament to the knowledge, creativity and skill of our engineers and the confidence our customers have in us to deliver good quality products on time.”
The announcement was made during a visit to the factory by East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson and mayor of Mid and East Antrim councillor Peter Johnston.
Ryobi’s parent company in Japan financially supported the £12 million capital investment required to install manufacturing processes to produce these new products.
This new business will secure the jobs of around 70 highly skilled people and will run for at least the next seven years. Ryobi currently employs almost 600 staff, making it one of the largest contributors to the economy in East Antrim.
Ryobi was established in Carrickfergus in 1990 to manufacture aluminum castings for the European automotive industry. Starting from humble beginnings supplying Ford Motor Company, it has grown substantially and now includes VW, Skoda, Peugeot Citroen, Jaguar Landrover, Magna and Ford within its expanding portfolio.
Ryobi www.ryobi.co.uk
