Alternative Heat is planning to expand its manufacturing facilities and create 23 jobs with support from Invest Northern Ireland. The expansion is aimed at providing the company, based at Castlewellan, with the capability to win and fulfill increased contracts for biomass boilers, service and maintenance of biomass boilers and open loop heat pump solutions. Invest NI has offered Alternative Heat £85,000 to support the development of its site at Burrenreagh Road, Castlewellan, which involves building a new warehouse and associated yard facilities. Commenting on the investment, Damian McAuley, Invest NI’s director of advanced engineering and construction, said: “Alternative Heat has experienced a sustained period of growth in recent years and this investment to increase its capacity and workforce signals its commitment to continue driving the business forward. “The 23 new jobs will generate approximately £780,000 annually for the local economy, the majority of which will pay salaries above the private sector median. Invest NI’s assistance with this expansion will help Alternative Heat realise its potential and support its projected sales growth of circa 46 per cent by 2017.” Alternative Heat specialises in the design, supply, installation, commissioning and service of renewable heating systems for domestic, commercial and industrial applications and provides an extensive range of renewable heating systems throughout the UK and Ireland. Connell McMullen, managing director of Alternative Heat, said: “We have continued to review the renewable industry throughout Ireland and the UK over the past 10 years and have developed our systems in line with industry demands to ensure we are best placed to increase our market share and build a platform for sustained growth. “The investment to expand our warehouse and yard facilities with support from Invest NI will allow us to effectively manage the increasing stock holding and fabrication requirement within the business. The 23 additional staff to be recruited over the next 18 months will include a range of managerial and operative roles and give us the scope to fully penetrate our target markets and capitalise on growth opportunities.”