Launching the 'Made in Lisburn Castlereagh' showcase is James Leckey, Chief Executive at Leckey; local students; Dr Theresa Donaldson, Chief Executive of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council; John McMichael, Managing Director of Montupet UK and Councillor Uel Mackin, Chairman of the Development Committee at Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council.

In the first of its kind Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council is leading the way by hosting the ‘Made in Lisburn Castlereagh’ showcase, 13th June at Lagan Valley Island, Lisburn.

This one-day event is a unique opportunity for everyone including local businesses, residents, schools and budding entrepreneurs to see first-hand the innovative products and talent that is prevalent in the Council area.

Speaking at the launch, Councillor Uel Mackin, Chairman of the Development Committee at Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council said: “We are delighted that so many of our leading businesses have already confirmed their participation at ‘Made in Lisburn Castlereagh’ including Assa Abloy Security Doors, Leckey, Montupet UK, EDM Spanwall and Coca-Cola HBC. Not only can each of these businesses tell their story to visitors they can also use this opportunity to highlight the excellent career prospects that exist in the local area.

“We have a long history of world class innovation such as the DeLorean car, the portable defibrillator, invented by Professor Frank Pantridge and the linkage system designed by Harry Ferguson, so don’t miss this unique opportunity to meet with the current Lisburn Castlereagh leaders in innovation and learn first-hand how they are helping to shape the future of our City,” he concluded.

Chief Executive of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, Dr Theresa Donaldson, said: “We have a fantastic business base in the Council area with first-class facilities manufacturing items that are incorporated into buildings and products all around the world. The ‘Made in Lisburn Castlereagh’ event is part of a wider programme of investment promotion, which includes the highly successful Lisburn Castlereagh at Westminster event, and being the first Northern Ireland Council to attend the UK’s largest property exhibition, MIPIM UK; all aimed at highlighting Lisburn Castlereagh as Northern Ireland’s premier investment location.”

James Leckey, Chief Executive at James Leckey Design, the global leader in the development of rehabilitation equipment, said: “We are a dynamic business working in partnership with parents to design equipment that will make a difference to children with special needs and their families. We are excited to be part of this event, and hope to inspire the next generation of innovators by sharing our vision, our ethos and our pride in our location.”

Also taking part is Montupet UK, which employs 600 at the old DeLorean site at Dunmurry. Managing Director John McMichael, said: “As a major employer within the Council area participating in the ‘Made in Lisburn Castlereagh’ event is important for us in many ways. We manufacturer cylinder heads for the global car industry including General Motors, Ford, Peugeot and Citroën but it is the wealth of engineering skills and talent that it is the key to our success. To have an occasion where we can meet with potential employees is unmissable and could prove very beneficial to us.”

Businesses should contact Neil Dalzell at ND Events on 028 9263 3232 or neil@ndevents.co.uk if they wish to find out information on how to participate in Made in Lisburn Castlereagh on Tuesday 13th June 2017 at Lagan Valley Island.