INVEST Northern Ireland has helped Leckpatrick Foods in Omagh to achieve savings of £400,000 through a programme of continuous business improvement.

Leckpatrick Foods produces liquid foods such as ice cream and custard for retail and food service markets in Britain and Ireland, as well as industrial food markets across Europe, and is owned by Irish multinational Kerry Group PLC.

Invest NI supported the employment of a Business Improvement Agent (BIA) at Leckpatrick to evaluate processes and procedures, with the aim of saving the company over three times its salary bill over the three-year duration of the project. The initiative far exceeded this expectation.

Commenting on the success, Ivan McMurray, managing director of Leckpatrick Foods, said, "Improvements in various areas of the business, such as the production processes and changeover times, along with waste reduction have led to significant savings for us.

"Thanks to these changes, we have become even more efficient throughout the entire business.

"Measures undertaken have also increased energy efficiency and reduced unnecessary water usage," added Mr McMurray.

Victor Jordan, Invest NI's director of Business Improvement Services, said, "The benefits of Invest NI's assistance are clear. Leckpatrick has demonstrated that companies which continue to review their processes and procedures on an ongoing basis can achieve cost savings and improve competitiveness.

"Invest NI can help companies to do this.

"By embracing a culture of continuous improvement, companies can achieve a higher turnover and increased profits, which can in turn be used in other operational areas to encourage faster sustainable business growth."

Leckpatrick Foods' participation in the Business Improvement Agent programme was part funded by the EU programme for Peace and Reconciliation.