Sion Mills: Mulrines creating 54 new jobs at former mill site

Herdman's Mill was built in 1835 and once employed 1,000 staff

A food and drinks firm has announced plans to create 54 jobs at a new manufacturing facility on the site of a former mill in County Tyrone.

Mulrines is redeveloping 22 acres of the the former Herdman's Mill site in Sion Mills.

The company will produce oat drink and fruit juice products at the new facility.

It said the jobs would pay average salaries in in the mid £20,000 range and would be in place by 2026.

Company chairman Peter Mulrine said the Sion Mills project was the culmination of a number of years of research, planning and negotiation.

He said the construction of the new factory was the first phase of the company's investment in the village.

Peter Mulrine, pictured with Mel Chittock from Invest NI, says the jobs will be in place by 2026

"The additional production capacity offers a significant opportunity for us to deliver additional fruit juice sales across our existing and new markets," he said.

"As a result of increased production, we are likely to need additional storage which will form the basis of our second phase of investment in the facility."

The new jobs are being supported by Invest NI.

Invest NI has offered a potential grant of up to £486,000, which a company spokesperson said "can be drawn down against as the company reaches agreed milestones".

Interim chief of Invest NI, Mel Chittock, said the project will see the former Herdmans site brought back to life after nearly 20 years.

He said it will create new employment in the area and deliver significant local supply chain benefits.

'Delighted'

"We are pleased that our support has helped secure this investment for Northern Ireland," Mr Chittock said.

"Sion Mills is one of Northern Ireland's most historical industrial sites and we are delighted the company has chosen it as the location for this new factory", he added,

Herdman's Mill was built in 1835 by James George and John Herdman from Belfast.

It once employed more than 1,000 staff, ceased spinning linen in 2004 and the company that owned the mill went into receivership in 2011.

The site was bought by local lottery winner Margaret Loughrey for £1m in 2014.

A fire broke out at the site in 2019.