BESPRA Ltd expands footprint in Ballymena thanks to support from Council
Tuesday 7 November 2023
Locally owned BESPRA Ltd has recently moved to 190 Raceview Road site in Silverwood Business Park, Ballymena, to accommodate recent growth and future expansion plans.
BESPRA specialises in steel fabrication, engineering and advanced automation, bringing a high level of excellence to fabrication services and automation processes. Formerly known as B-Spoke Engineering Ltd, the company was set up in 2012 by Paul McGuckin as a two-man shop serving the maintenance and light fabrication needs of local businesses.
The company engaged with Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s Economic Development Team early on in their search for a suitable location and property to grow their business. The team carried out a bespoke and tailored property search and provided the company with a range of suitable property options, alongside information on the wide array of Council support available for companies in the Borough.
Paul McGuckin, Managing Director of BESPRA Ltd, said: “we approached Mid and East Antrim Borough Council in February 2022 as we were seeking a property in Ballymena to accommodate our expansion and growth plans. Council had a simple dedicated property request system and through this provided details of the site at Silverwood Business Park, Ballymena as a potential location which suited our list of requirements.”
“Following the guidance from Council, we investigated the offering at the Silverwood Business Park and in July 2023 agreed a long-term lease with the owners.”
He adds: “In addition to the property search support, we have also benefitted from a range of Council business growth support programmes including bespoke mentoring focused on financial forecasting/growth projections and digital marketing support through the Digital Boost Programme - which provided us with essential knowledge in the area of online advertising.”
The factory in Silverwood Business Park offers an impressive footprint space encompassing 20,000 sq ft, alongside dedicated car parking - all contained within a secure site.
With its commitment to quality and service, BESPRA has become a rapidly growing custom metal fabrication and design company who are vision driven and continually investing in increased capabilities and pursuing new markets.
A prime example of BESPRA’s continuous improvement is in the development of a new, high quality engineering production machine - the RotoRyze LR5000v - designed with welding and assembly applications in mind, to significantly reduce manufacturing times whilst increasing quality in a safe working environment. RotoRyze can lift heavy frames and allow them to be positioned using an intuitive touch screen control and with a lifting capacity of 5 ton, RotoRyze is suitable for use in many heavy engineering applications.
The company have also recently benefitted from support from the Michelin Development Fund, which provides financial support to SME’s in County Antrim, excluding Belfast, through unsecured, subsidised loans.
Noel Mulholland, Head of Michelin Development UK, said: “It’s exciting news for the local economy, as BESPRA build on the traditional manufacturing and fabrication heritage of the region and develop it in line with new technological breakthroughs. Their RotoRyze product will greatly improve ergonomics, health and safety, and productivity in the heavy metal fabrication industry.”
Congratulating the business on its recent expansion, Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Alderman Gerardine Mulvenna, said: “We welcome BESPRA to their new location at Silverwood Business Park, which provides the company space to grow their operations. BESPRA is at an exciting stage in their development, facilitated through Council’s suite of business support and growth programmes which help businesses put plans into place and bring employment opportunities to our Borough. I wish Paul and the team at BESPRA every success.”
Invest Northern Ireland has supported BESPRA since 2021 with advice and guidance, technical assistance and the company has availed of an Invest NI Innovation voucher.
Congratulating BESPRA on its continued growth, Des Gartland, Regional Manager at Invest Northern Ireland said: “BESPRA is really committed to growing its business and has worked with our innovation and technical assistance teams to get expert advice and guidance to develop its new engineering production machine. The company has also participated on our Grow Beyond Programme which supports early-stage exporters to target and research the ROI and GB markets to grow sales. It’s great to see the company continuing to scale with this move to new premises which will allow it to increase its manufacturing outputs, drive up productivity and grow its business further.”
To find out further information on the Property Request process email invest@midandeastantrim.gov.uk or to avail of the support to grow your business contact amplify@midandeastantrim.gov.uk.