Top honour for Powerscreen’s Pat

THE co-founder of a well-known Tyrone firm has been named as one of the first inductees into the North’s Manufacturing Hall of Fame.

Pat O’Neill, who set up Powerscreen in Dungannon in 1966 with Lee Mallaghan, has been honoured along with three other stalwarts of the local manufacturing industry.

Since 1999, the washing and screening equipment manufacturer’s brand has been owned by US company Terex, with Powerscreen inspiring a large number of spin-off companies in Mid Ulster, in what has since been dubbed the ‘Silicon Valley for heavy equipment’.

Employing around 1,500 people, the company has kept its strong Tyrone presence and personality despite now being part of the Terex brand.

Also recognised for their decades of contribution to the Northern Irish economy were Dr Terry Cross OBE, former chairman and chief executive of Delta Print and Packaging and current chairman of Hinch Distillery and Brian Irwin, chairman of Irwin’s Bakery.

Meanwhile, Brian’s brother Niall Irwin, who sadly passed away in 2018, has also been posthumously inducted to the Hall of Fame.

immeasurable impact

Manufacturing NI chief executive, Stephen Kelly, spoke of the huge impact which the businessmen had made. He said, “Dr Terry Cross OBE, Pat O’Neill, and Brian and Niall Irwin have created countless jobs, sustained thousands of households across Northern Ireland, and produced goods and products which are used and enjoyed in markets across the globe.

“Their impact on our economy and our sector has been immeasurable.

“These four leaders have boosted Northern Ireland’s international reputation as a location for innovation, engineering excellence, and skilled workers, and every one of us in the local manufacturing sector have leaders like Terry, Pat, Brian, and Niall to thank for laying the foundations over the past 50 years.

“Leaders like these continue to inspire the next generation and, on behalf of the members of Manufacturing NI, I want to congratulate them on their decades of success and thank them for all their efforts throughout their distinguished careers.”

The Northern Ireland Manufacturing Hall of Fame is a new initiative as part of Manufacturing Month, a month-long celebration of the local manufacturing and engineering sector and the talented and skilled people who make the sector one of the most important to the local economy.