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Rural Development Programme Funding Awarded to Local Rural Business A company based in the Omagh District Council area has become one of the first to benefit from a £50,000 investment from the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 in the North West area.
The recently established business, Colton Concrete Limited, which is located between Omagh and Dromore, specialises in the manufacture of a wide range of precast concrete products. The company also manufactures a number of regular concrete products including lintels, sills, kerbs, posts and decorative pillar caps, as well as hand made products for the water mains and road gullies sector, which are marketed throughout the UK and Ireland.
The company which has been awarded funding under the Farm Diversification Measure will use the £50,000 to purchase specialist equipment to enable the business to mechanise production of previously hand made products as well as diversify into a new, extensive product range. The financial support will also support the creation of additional employment and enable the company to become more efficient and competitive.
Speaking at the visit to Mr Colton's business Minister Gildernew said “I am very encouraged that the roll-out of Axis 3 of the RDP has extended into the North West, providing support to creation and development of small businesses. Such enterprises help sustain and grow rural communities and often provide a badly needed boost. I have seen at first hand today what the RDP grant means to a rural business, helping increase turnover and creating employment. It is great to see RDP reaching grassroots level".
Mark Colton, a farming family member and owner of the company, recently showcased his business and provided a practical demonstration of the equipment, indicating how it will help progress the development of his business by increasing production capacity.
“This investment will enable us now to promote our new products and meet the demand for them, which we are currently unable to supply. This welcome investment will allow me the opportunity to develop additional products and concentrate on sales rather than dealing with production. It will also allow me to employ more staff to undertake sales and office management, which are very important aspects of a progressive company”, he added.
Councillor Allan Rainey, MBE, Chair of the ARC north west Joint Committee, congratulated the locally based company on becoming one of the first to be awarded funding under the Programme and he welcomed the investment to the North West area.
“This investment is not only a boost to a rural business like Colton Concrete but to the rural economy as a whole,” he said.
Commenting on the funding awarded to Colton Concrete, Mr John Donaghy, Chair of the ARC north west Local Action Group outlined the benefits the specialist machine would make to the business both in terms of production capacity and the quality of his products.
“This investment will provide Colton Concrete with the opportunity to compete for new business, target new markets and provide additional employment in the Omagh area”, he said.
Further information may be obtained by contacting: ARC north west, 1 Market Street, Omagh,Co Tyrone, BT78 1EE,Tel: 028 8225 0202, Fax: 028 8224 0265 or by visiting the ARC North West website: www.arcnorthwest.com 
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