Linamar

Linamar of France is the second largest independent manufacturer of aluminium cylinder heads in the world. Linamar has been in Northern Ireland since 1989, and manufacturers cast aluminium cylinder heads for petrol and diesel engines used in engines for Ford, Peugeot, Citroen, GM, Volvo, Fiat, Mazda and Jaguar vehicles.

The Lisburn Castlereagh plant currently delivers its products into engine plants based in the UK, France, Turkey, Romania, South Africa and China employing more than 500 people. The company points to the quality of the local workforce as key to their ability to compete with facilities from Bulgaria to India on higher quality , lower wastage, low labour turnover and productivity.

Linamar Lisburn Castlereagh recently won a six-year contract with Ford worth almost £200m for the new Panther cylinder head, which will be supplied to Ford engine plants in Dagenham, Turkey, South Africa and China from 2015.

"Winning this order emphasises the ability of the Dunmurry ( Lisburn ) plant to compete in the global automotive marketplace, offering both quality and expertise while remaining economically competitive."

Linamar managing director, Jim Burke