31.05.13
More Crossrail business opportunities revealed
Businesses in Northern Ireland have been encouraged to take advantage of opportunities arising from the £14.8bn Crossrail project.
Enterprise minister Arlene Foster and Crossrail chairman Terry Morgan led an awareness drive to ensure Northern Ireland can enter the supply chain. At a visit to Environmental Fabrications, they set out how businesses can make the most of this opportunity.
Environmental Fabrications has already supplied 300 tonnes of steel to Crossrail, and has won four contracts on the project so far, fitting gantry cranes, access platforms and handrails to sites in London to help transport concrete segments to line the new tunnels.
Foster said: “Crossrail is one of the most significant infrastructure projects ever undertaken in the UK and presents huge business opportunities for Northern Ireland companies across a broad range of sectors. My department, through Invest Northern Ireland, is actively working to encourage and assist many more firms, like Environmental Fabrications, to investigate the wide variety of contracts available.
“We have a wealth of experience and skills here that are hugely beneficial when competing on the global stage. Our aim is to assist as many companies as possible to become part of the supply chains of the main contractors already involved in the project and those likely to win business in the future. I welcome today’s visit from the Crossrail Chairman and key Crossrail contractors to Northern Ireland to witness firsthand the capabilities and experience of our local construction and civil engineering industry.”
Morgan added: “Building a new railway in London doesn’t just benefit the southeast of England – it supports jobs and creates business opportunities right around the UK, including here in Northern Ireland. There will be billions of pounds worth of contracts coming up over the next few years so it’s vital that firms don’t miss out on the opportunities that Europe’s largest construction project has to offer.”
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Image c. Crossrail Ltd