News JFC Diversification Story

 

> TUAM firm JFC Plastics is continuing its international expansion with the
acquisition, for an estimated > EUR> 1.5 million, of the Knotwood range of
products previously made by this firm in St. Helens, Merseyside, England.
The assets and product range, which includes fencing, decking, outdoor
street furniture, traffic bollards and road hazard markings are made from a
mixture of recycled plastic and waste wood and will in future be known as
JFC Delta Decking and Fencing.
> This latest acquisition is of a range of products which were previously
manufactured by a firm located beside the Reprise Plastics Recycling
Company, St. Helens, acquired by JFC as part of a > EUR> 5 million
investment in the recycling industry last year. This latest acquisition is
in line with the JFC Company strategy and their involvement in the growing
plastic and recycling sector.
> The acquisition is good news too for increased activities at the JFC
parent plant in Tuam and the wage bill is now roughly > EUR> 3 million per
annum for the Weir Road site alone.
> "> It is a great credit to the staff and the whole team working at JFC
that through their efforts our group with its headquarters in the west of
Ireland continues to expand its activities internationally.
> "> The plastics industry is a very tough business and taking over from
companies such as this latest one in Merseyside is just another major
challenge,> "> said John Concannon.
> He added that the firm are very grateful for the support they get from the
local community especially St Jarlath> '> s Credit Union who honoured JFC at
a reception last year to mark their continuing international success. John
Concannon says he hopes they can continue to make headway in new
international markets with their latest acquisitions. > "> We see
tremendous potential, especially on the international markets for this
latest range of items added to our ever growing catalogue. > "> As items
such as Delta Decking and Fencing etc. are long lasting and maintenance free
they are attractive and economical for the customers while their manufacture
from a mixture of recycled plastic and waste wood makes them environmentally
friendly too,> "> said John.
> This latest acquisition comes at a time when the Tuam firm have invested >
EUR> 3 million in new washing and recycling facilities at their St. Helen>
'> s factory.
> It also coincides with the first anniversary of JFC opening a > EUR> 5
million plastics manufacturing plant in Poland last September and at a time
when John Concannon is one of the finalists in the international section of
the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards. Last May JFCs Delleve
plastic recycling plant in Stratford-on-Avon also won the British Plastics
Federation > "> Best Environment Initiative> "> award for its recycling of
used plastic bottles.
> JFC now manufactures its range of corrugated > "> Corri-Pipes> "> for
drainage, building construction and roads projects by recycling over 20,000
tonnes of plastic bottles per year at its UK plants.
> "> Now even some of the waste plastic discarded during the recycling of
the bottles can be used with waste wood cuttings as a composite material for
making the range of items which were formerly known as Knotwood wood
composite products,> "> said John Concannon.
> He also says that the firm are now accepting used plastic bottles from
refuse collection firms and local authorities in Ireland and Europe and they
plan to immediately launch the JFC Delta range of fencing and decking here.
> JFC Manufacturing employs 175 staff developing a range of plastic products
for many markets such as equestrian, hotels and catering, agriculture,
environment, road building and the construction industry. Since its humble
beginnings as a one man business in Tuam in 1987, Managing Director John
Concannon has seen the company more than double in size in the last three
years with turnover expected to reach > EUR> 30m for 2005. Expansion at its
parent plant has continued in tandem with its international activities and
several other new products have been developed at its new > EUR> 1 million
Research and Development centre which was backed by Enterprise Ireland.
> The new products to be launched during the next few months include a
revolutionary new mussel float for the fishing sector in association with
Bord Iascaigh Mhara and a number of West of Ireland fish farmers plus a new
water treatment technology developed in collaboration with NUI Galway.
> John Concannon recently returned from a week of lectures and projects at
the world famous Harvard University in the US.
> This is part of the selection process to decide on the Ernst & Young
Entrepreneur of the Year for 2005 to be announced later this month. JFC is
among a shortlist of 24 finalists which were selected after a panel of 12
judges reviewed entries from a range of businesses and individuals across
Ireland, North and South.
>
Visit the JFC Trade Stand No 396, Row 1H - at the National Ploughing
Championships, Mogeely, Midleton, Co Cork - 27th - 29th September 2005.