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Farry hails global success at MJM Group

19 January 2012

Employment and Learning Minister Dr Stephen Farry has praised Newry firm MJM Group’s recent success in securing a €5million refurbishment contract for a Scandinavian ferry operator.

During a visit to MJM Group’s Newry premises, the Minister was told of the specialist joinery sub-contractor’s plans to expand its workforce in 2012.  

Commending management and staff, the Minister said: “The hard work that MJM have put into securing and delivering these recent contracts has positioned them as a major global contractor in the cruise ferry market. This has meant they have grown their staff from 74 to 118 and have more than trebled their turnover to over £30 million in just the last three years.  They have invested heavily in their workforce development to enable them to take on larger and more complex projects.

“I particularly point to the company’s use of my Department’s ApprenticeshipsNI programme which has allowed delivery of high quality training to ensure that MJM maintains competitive advantage in the current economic climate. Their success clearly demonstrates the ability of Northern Ireland-based companies to be competitive in international markets.”

As a result of the €5million refurbishment contract, the company now plans to take on further staff, both at graduate and shop floor level.  MJM Group is based in Newry, Co Down, Northern Ireland, with offices in London, France and Poland servicing markets in UK, Europe, USA, the Far East and Australia.   Current contracts and future growth plans for the company means they are seeking talent from a range of disciplines from CAD designers to procurement specialists, quantity surveyors to contracts managers.

The Minister continued:  “My Department is ideally placed to help this company meet its recruitment needs.  We have a team of Employer Contact Managers (ECMs), based in local areas and with local knowledge, who can steer the company every step of the way to get the right people into the right jobs.

“Our ECMs can help employers advertise, help with the organisation of interviews including if necessary providing premises for the interviews themselves, and administration following the interviews.  They can also advise on possible financial support, training available to upskill employees, and provide ongoing service to meet any future recruitment and training needs.”

MJM Managing Director Jonathan Guest said:  “We are delighted that our strategy of becoming the leading contractor within the cruise ferry market in Europe is paying dividends.  Our reputation and capacity for carrying out the highest quality work in very short lead-times is a credit to all our employees in MJM.”

Notes for editors:

  1. MJM was founded in 1983 as a specialist joinery sub-contractor and has since developed into an international, award winning, Project Management Contractor with divisions in Specialist Joinery, Marine refurbishment and Public Area Fit Out.  MJM’s clients include some of the world’s leading Cruise line and Ferry companies including Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Carnival, Stenaline and Scandlines.
  2. Operating from newly constructed premises in Carnbane Business Park in Newry, MJM occupies 100,000 sq ft of factory space containing state of the art CNC machinery, and has offices in London, France and Poland servicing markets in UK, Europe, USA, the Far East and Australia.
  3. Photographs from the event are available by calling the Department for Employment and Learning Communications Branch on 028 9025 7793 or at http://www.flickr.com/photos/niexecutive/collections/ external link
  4. All media queries should be directed to the Department for Employment and Learning Communications Branch on 028 9025 7793. Out of office hours please contact the duty press officer via pager number 076 9971 5440 and your call will be returned.