Mannok, based in Derrylin, Co Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, has invested EUR2.1m in its cement bagging facilities to double the company’s production capacity.

Germany-based Haver & Boecker were awarded the contract to design and manufacture a new 10-spout Roto-Packer Adams bag filling system and a new automatic film reel changer. The new equipment has the capacity to pack 1200 bags per hour. As a result, Mannok will have the capacity to pack around 50tph in weatherproof bags, in addition to a similar packing capacity for paper bags.

Joining the company’s Irish sales team on a plant visit to see the new technology in action, Mannok’s CEO, Liam McCaffrey, commented: "This is a major investment in our cement operations which completes the second phase of our investment in our weatherproof bagging line, upgrading it from a single to a double bagging line with a significant increase in output capacity.

"Our initial investment to bring our weatherproof PE bags to the market was in response to demand from GB-based merchants, and we later introduced the bags to the Irish market, where the response was equally positive."

The step is part of a programme to extend its reach on both sites of the Irish Sea.