31/10/2002

Wrightbus goes from strength to strength

Ballymena-based bus manufacturers The Wright Group has secured an £11 million order from the Netherlands for 102 left-hand-drive buses.

The order follows a major contract won earlier this year for the supply of 89 vehicles to Holland and establishes Wrightbus as the largest British bus exporter to the European mainland.

Patrick Hurst, Managing Director of Wrightbus, said: “We’ve seen our investment in drawing up in-depth marketing strategies pay dividends in the last few years and we’re projecting an increase in output of 35% over the next 12 months.

"We’re confident that our European focus will result in a further growth in export sales,” he said.

The company’s export sales already account for 25% of total Group revenue and with a prototype double-deck bus currently in development for Hong Kong, the company expects its export business to grow from strength to strength.

Two-thirds of our order book for the incoming year has already been secured.

In addition to recent export orders won, the company’s Expotech division exports buses in kit form to the USA for final assembly, with more than 250 units supplied in the last two years.

Earlier this month the company was awarded the Chartered Institute of Marketing Excellence Award NI 2002 and the Market Development Award for best in its category.

(MB)

Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

18 November 2024
69-Year-Old Extradited From Spain To Face Child Abuse Charges
A 69-year-old man has been extradited from Spain to stand trial Northern Ireland for child-related sexual offences that occurred in the mid-1980s and early 1990s.
15 November 2024
Winter Vaccines: Get Boosted To Protect Yourself
The Public Health Agency (PHA) is urging eligible individuals in Northern Ireland to get their annual flu and COVID-19 vaccines as soon as possible. The agency highlights the significant benefits of vaccination in reducing severe illness and death, especially for those at high risk.
08 May 2015
Moneyreagh Firm Completes First Export Deal
Moneyreagh engineering design company Northern Innovation has completed its first export deal worth £200,000 supplying its borewell water extraction system to the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) based in Ikeja, Lagos in western Nigeria.
04 December 2013
NI Manufacturing Increases 1.9%
Total manufacturing sales in Northern Ireland increased 1.9% in current prices and up 1.2% in real terms during 2012/13, according to the latest figures. The 2012/13 Manufacturing Sales and Exports Survey (MSES) was published today by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA).
26 November 2012
Major Export Deal Announced For Kettyle Irish Foods
Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster has announced a major export deal for Kettyle Irish Foods in Lisnaskea that could be worth over £1.2million over the next 12 months. The contract involves the supply of a new, sustainably produced Fermanagh bacon to one of Europe's top retailers.