The Innovation Centre at Ecos in Ballymena has welcomed another tenant as it expands its occupant portfolio.

Electricityworx, which operates in the independent connections market and in the renewable energy sector, has moved into the business hub in order to facilitate future growth.

The company, run by directors John Gunning, Aidan Gunning and Joseph Cosgrove, was established initially with the aim of carrying out surveying and patrolling the transmission and distribution networks throughout the UK and Ireland. Having carried out contracts on all ranges of voltages, from low voltage to 275Kv, Electricityworx has now moved into the design, maintenance and construction phases on both the distribution and transmission networks and diversified into other workstreams such as Fibre Network Build & Install throughout Ireland & UK.

Employing 42 people and working with a further 21 sole traders, the business expects this year’s turnover to significantly increase from previous years with a steady growth forecasted for the next three years.

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor William McCaughey, said the company was a welcome asset to the area. “The Innovation Centre at Ecos is just one element of Council’s vision to create an innovation district and Cleantech hub in Ballymena that forms part of a wider innovation ecosystem across the borough and Northern Ireland to drive continued economic growth and prosperity.”

“We are delighted to welcome John, Aidan, Joseph and the ElectricityWorx team as they continue their journey.”

Director John Gunning, who is based at the Innovation Centre alongside 2 design engineers and administrative staff, said they chose the workspace for its “central Northern Ireland location and great infrastructure links”.

“It’s a great facility all round. To attract the right staff, you must be able to offer them an excellent work environment and space, and the Ecos hub is second to none. It provides our team with access to state-of-the-art meeting rooms, which are hugely important, and communal areas.”

Referring to the business, Mr Gunning said Electricityworx possesses “a wide expertise and full accreditation across the complete energy sector”. “We offer the entire range of design, engineering, construction, commissioning and maintenance services.

“Typical projects include battery energy storage systems, wind farms, solar farms, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, substation and overhead line builds throughout Ireland & UK, specifically Power Transmission. Our main customers are large corporations who acquire sites on behalf of their clients for battery energy systems or solar farms or wind farms, as well as individuals/self-builders requiring a New Electricity Connection.”

Mr Gunning said Electricityworx had been searching for a suitable location for some time. “We’ve doubled our turnover since last year. “The Covid pandemic saw us venture into other workstreams and seek other opportunities. We plan to keep growing on the solid bases we have in the renewables sectors and the battery energy/windfarms markets.”

Part of the wider Catalyst ecosystem across Northern Ireland, the Ecos facility features 20,000 sq ft of Grade A office space and the capacity to house up to 125 workers. Other tenants include cloud-based death care management firm PlotBox, Young Enterprise NI, precision-engineered swimming pool manufacturer Castillo Pools and Connon Associates Limited, a digital accountancy practice.

Welcoming Electricityworx to the Innovation Centre, Andy McDonald, Catalyst’s Business Development Manager, said it was great news. “Electricityworx is joining a wider connected community of Northern Ireland-wide innovators and creators,” he said. “We are excited to be able to help them as they continue their plans for future growth and development.”