First Minister, the Rt. Hon. Arlene Foster, and Junior Minister, Megan Fearon has officially opened the new 10,000 sq ft £1.6m headquarters for Mount Charles.
The state-of-the-art building on in Belfast is now home to around 50 head office employees, with the company employing more than 2,000 people in total across Ireland and Great Britain.
The 28-year old foodservice and outsourced business support organisation had outgrown its previous leased premises on Shaftesbury Square, making the decision in December 2015 to purchase and drastically refurbish the building that was previously known as Maxol House.
First Minister, Arlene Foster (pictured second right) said, “Mount Charles is a huge Northern Ireland success story. The company’s strong position in what is a very competitive marketplace is indicative of how well run and innovative the business has become over the last three decades.
'With the opening of these new headquarters, Mount Charles is delivering a statement of intent, a vote of confidence in Northern Ireland, in its workforce and in the future of the business.
“I commend Mount Charles Chairman Trevor Annon and Managing Director Cathal Geoghegan on their leadership and vision in bringing this indigenous Northern Ireland company to this hugely significant milestone, and I wish the company every success as it continues to grow.”
Junior Minister, Megan Fearon (pictured second left) said, “This new headquarters for signals their ambition and aspirations for the future. Since its establishment in 1988 Mount Charles has grown to become a major player in the local business landscape and, with more than 2,000 employees, a key employer.
'I commend Mount Charles on their continued commitment to the local economy and wish Trevor Annon [pictured right], Cathal Geoghegan and the entire Mount Charles team every success for the future.”
Managing Director of Mount Charles, Cathal Geoghegan (pictured left) said, “We’ve undergone a period of fairly significant change, both in terms of our people and this recent investment in our wonderful new company headquarters.
“We see the investment in Annon House not only as a suitable reflection of the dynamic, creative company that Mount Charles is, but also as a serious statement of intent both to our people and to the wider economy.
“There remains massive scope for our continued expansion and diversification. Our revenues as of September 2016 totalled £31m and we have recently outlined our ambitious plans for the ‘Road to £50m’ whereby we aim to achieve revenues of that amount by 2020. We conservatively estimate that our employee figures would rise from 2,000 to more than 3,000 when we hit that target.'
Geoghegan concluded, “Our vision is simple; to be both a business partner and employer of choice throughout Ireland and the UK. The launch of Annon House together with the dynamic senior team we’ve assembled over the past 12 months marks the beginning of a new era, and it’s one that we’re incredibly excited about.'