Co Armagh precision engineering firm SAM NI has completed a £10 million expansion of its Portadown manufacturing facility, according to the Belfast Telegraph, marking the biggest single investment in the company's history as it moves to meet growing demand from a global aerospace customer base that includes Boeing, Airbus, Collins Aerospace and Safran.

The investment adds 25,000 square feet to the site, bringing its total manufacturing footprint to 68,000 square feet, and has updated the company's machining, inspection and subassembly capabilities. SAM NI, part of the Singapore Aerospace Manufacturing Group, employs 90 people and has expanded its workforce rapidly since 2021 as international demand for high-precision aerospace components and assemblies has grown.

Operations director Joel Best said: "This is a key moment for SAM NI and reflects not only the strength of our team and business, but also the continued confidence our international customers have in our specialist engineering capabilities. This new facility gives us the capacity and capability to support that demand, deliver greater value to our customers, and continue developing the advanced manufacturing technologies and skills that will define our next chapter."

A company spokesperson said sales are forecast to grow significantly over the next 18 months and into 2028, with the expanded facility underpinning SAM NI's ability to scale operations and accelerate delivery.

The expansion was supported by Invest NI. Its director of advanced manufacturing and engineering, Brendan McGuigan, said the investment "further establishes the company as a key strategic manufacturing partner within the aerospace sector."

SAM NI is also recruiting across programming, fabrication, quality assurance, engineering management and apprenticeship roles, and will exhibit at the Farnborough International Airshow from 20 to 24 July.

Find out more about SAM NI's expansion and what it means for advanced aerospace manufacturing in Northern Ireland in the full coverage.