Mount Charles invests £1.6m in new headquarters
Belfast caterer Mount Charles Group has announced it has invested £1.6m to purchase new premises for its headquarters, as the company continues to grow.
The firm, which specialises in foodservice, cleaning, security and vending, will move into the 10,000 sq ft Maxol House on Ormeau Road, the former headquarters of Botanic Inns.
Mount Charles' rapid growth trajectory means that the 27-year old company with an almost 2,000 strong employee base has outgrown its current premises, Ascot House on Shaftesbury Square.
It said it has decided to purchase rather than rent a larger building as part of its commitment to the Northern Ireland marketplace.
Cathal Geoghegan, managing director of Mount Charles said: "We are very excited about this move, which we view very much as a gamechanger for Mount Charles. The company has evolved so much in the recent past, with the addition of new divisions and services that have very quickly made a big impact on our market share.
"We feel that a new, state-of-the-art headquarters will much better represent who we are now as a company; and that is a dynamic and innovative locally-owned business that is taking on the multinationals and providing a lot of local employment opportunities."
He added: "Purchasing this building is a big statement of intent from us; that we remain extremely committed to doing business in Northern Ireland, while also growing our business outside of Northern Ireland."
Last month the company announced it had secured £7.3m worth of new contracts in the past year and employed 130 additional staff members, taking its total to 1,850.
It achieved a turnover of £28.1m in 2015 and increased its revenue by £2.6m from 2014 and by £6.2m from 2013.
Mount Charles has also said it plans to create more than 200 jobs throughout 2016.
It went straight to the number one spot as a new entry in the 2015 Foodservice Growth report, compiled by AlixPartners and EP, after achieving 32.5% compound annual growth from a turnover of £25.5m.
Work has begun to transform Maxol House, with contractors Mascot Construction expected to finish the job by late summer.
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