Spires Art & Fernagh Custom Made Sheds nominated for Growth Through Export

Congratulations to our former tenant Spires Art and Fernagh Custom Made Sheds who have been nominated for the ‘Growth Through Export’ award in the Omagh Business Awards.

Omagh Enterprise is delighted to support the Omagh Business Awards 2011. The company would like to wish all the participants success and congratulate the Omagh Chamber of Commerce and Industry on the awards which will benefit the small businesses of the area.

See below for details on the Nominees:

Spires Art

Based on Omagh’s Brookmount Road since 1988, Spires Art offer an image gallery service, digital printing technologies, etched mirror and glass designs, decorative glass art and a consultation and design service.

Up to the year end of 2007, 80 percent of the company’s turnover was generated by business outside of Northern Ireland, with Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland representing Spires Art’s key export markets.

Since the economic downturn in these key markets, managing director Colm Mac Rory has sought to secure new customers, successfully availing of a number of Invest NI programmes to develop clients in Holland, Germany and even Ethiopia.

The result has meant the company is still generating over 80 percent of turnover from outside of Northern Ireland.
Presently developing new export growth marketing strategies, Spires Art are researching opportunities to sell high end products to the Middle East, working with Invest NI to select appropriate target markets.

Fernagh Custom Made Sheds

Based in the Fernagh Road five miles outside Omagh and employing three staff, Fernagh Custom Made Sheds have been manufacturing, delivering and installing custom crafted timber products since 2002.

Building his reputation over the nine years since, proprietor Christopher Monaghan has diversified his product range, adapting to the changing market to develop innovative eco-friendly products.

The increase in product range and customers has been reflected by the increase in turnover year-on-year since 2002.
While the Republic of Ireland is the only export market at present, export sales have grown over the last three to four years, representing 15 percent of total annual turnover.

Fernagh Custom Made Sheds are however hoping to make the breakthrough into northern Europe through product development and a targeted marketing strategy, with the company targeting next year for the completion of an exciting full scale eco-friendly home.

Also nominated:

Waste Systems

Incorporated in March 2009 by Nishi Ward, Omagh company Waste Systems Ltd specialise in the design, manufacture and supply of turnkey systems and stand alone machinery for the waste separation and recycling industries.

With the environment high on the agenda in the industrial sector, the company’s products entered a thriving area of the market at the right time. Employing six people, Waste Systems distribute their client-specific patented equipment across the UK, North America and Europe.

At the end of the 2009/10 financial year, export sales accounted for some 34 percent of the company’s overall turnover.
However in the last year, Waste Systems have more than tripled export sales, which now account for 53 percent of total turnover.

As part of the company’s ongoing strategy, it is actively engaging with well known distributors, targeting markets in North America, Scandinavia, Central Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Source: ulsterherald.com