Crossmaglen-based mobile crushing and screening equipment manufacturer Roco is investing £2.5m (€2.9m) in a factory expansion designed to increase production capacity and bring more assembly operations in-house. The development is intended to support efficiency gains and higher output as the company scales its machinery production footprint.

The Irish News reported that the expansion will create 30 new jobs and effectively double the company’s headcount, following a period of strong export growth across international markets.

Founded in 2020 by Shane Connolly and Patrick Connolly, Roco designs and manufactures mobile crushing and screening equipment used in quarrying, construction and recycling applications to process and sort materials by size.

The company said it has secured £8m (€9.4m) in export sales over the past 12 months and is actively targeting expansion into Mexico, Europe and Asia through engagement with Invest NI’s international trade teams.

Roco’s machines are hybrid electric and are currently supplied to customers in Britain, Ireland, the United States and European markets, reflecting growing demand for more energy-efficient industrial equipment within heavy machinery applications.

Chief executive Shane Connolly said: "To grow our business we need to improve the quality of our products and reduce our lead times. We’ve realised that to do this, we need to expand our facility and our workforce, to bring more assembly production work in-house."

He added: "This will not only improve our efficiencies but also our productivity. We will be able to double the amount of machinery options we offer so that we can attract even more new customers in international markets following our recent export wins."

Economy minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald said: "Roco’s export success shows how local firms can compete on the global stage."

She added: "This investment will boost productivity, create high-quality jobs in Crossmaglen and help strengthen the local economy, supporting my vision of a more regionally balanced economy."

Invest Northern Ireland has provided £210,000 (€247,000) in support towards the creation of the 30 new roles across production, design, finance and sales.

Learn more about Roco’s factory expansion and international growth plans.