When Gerry McNally says that the statistics around the polymers industry in Northern Ireland are impressive, he’s guilty of some understatement.

And that’s not typical of the man. When it comes to enthusiasm for a chosen sector, McNally (Director of the NI Polymers Association) is a man with a passion for the business he’s spent a lifetime working in and around.

His association has 48 member companies producing a £1.5 billion turnover and accounting for almost 11,000 employees. That’s 8.3% and 14.3 % of the overall Northern Ireland manufacturing sector respectively. Including non-NIPA members, there figures rise to 80+ companies employing 14,000 and a combined turnover of £2.2 billion.

The list of companies ranges from large to relatively small and includes some well-known names – Denroy Plastics, Brett Martin, Kingspan, The Wright Group, Greiner Packaging, Canyon…..and so the list goes on. And two thirds of the companies on the NIPA’s books export to 20 or more countries outside of Northern Ireland.

“So this is a sector which is vital to the Northern Ireland economy. We’re talking about leading edge organisations are the forefront of polymers technology and at the sharp end of research and development,” says Gerry McNally.

A polymer engineering graduate, McNally started his career in industry with County Down textiles firm McCleary & L’Amie and then with Mackies in Belfast before joining the academic staff at Queen’s University in Belfast. He is the author of some 250 technical articles in scientific journals and has some 50 applied research grants in the field of polymers. He was founder and director of the Polymer Centre at QUB.

In July 2012, he was awarded the prestigious American Society of Plastics Engineers Educator of the Year Award in Florida, USA.

As for the NI Polymers Association, it has its roots 25 years ago and started out more as a social (and golfing) organisation for like-minded industrialists than a business group. But its Consultative Panel these days reads like a Who’s Who of manufacturing industry here.

Gerry McNally paints a picture of a vibrant sector which ranges from relatively small companies making plastic drainage pipes from recycled milk cartons right up to some leaders in the field.

“Jobs are created by innovation and investment and we are very good at that. The companies in the sector here in Northern Ireland have made published investments of some £73 million since mid-2013…..and there are a lot more investments which aren’t in the public domain,” he says.

Amongst those investments are £14 million by The Wright Group (one of six of whose employees work in composites), £12 million in medical polymers by TG Eakin, £11 million by Webtech in plastic shrink wrap labelling, £5 million by Whale, £4 million by Denroy and so the list goes on.

“The range of what the polymers sector here actually produces is fascinating in itself,” adds Gerry McNally. “We’re talking about everything from plastic food and drink containers to marine pumps and from conveyor belts to horticultural trays.”

In the past this is a sector which led the way in the UK in terms of knowledge transfer between its companies and the universities and FE colleges in Northern Ireland.

“There is a lot of research going on throughout the sector and at university and college level,” says Gerry.

“Research and development and improved competence of the staff in the sector are absolutely vital. Bear in mind that this is a sector that has to compete internationally. When it comes to plastics and polymers, manufacturers in China and India have to be taken into account.

“So our companies here in Northern Ireland really have to be on top of their game at all times. It can be all about producing products faster and faster…..at the same time as producing them at the right price. This is why we’ve introduced our own bespoke knowledge transfer and innovation programmes with our companies.

“This is a sophisticated industrial sector and it’s also one that feeds into other industrial sectors worldwide. Big companies like Wrightbus and Bombardier are very good example. Their end products contain a lot of components developed and produced by the polymers sector here.

“And the industry has its challenges to face. There’s the cost of exporting from Northern Ireland, for example, and there are our high energy costs. When you’ve got a plant full of extrusion machines running 24 hours a day at very high temperatures, you end up with a big electricity bill. So, like others in industry, we’re always pushing for lower energy costs here.”

Within the wider polymers sector, there aren’t just many different companies but also many different polymers:

  • commodity polymers
  • engineering polymers
  • thermoplastic elastomers
  • co-polymers
  • polymer blends

And they, in turn, use different new generation manufacturing methods and materials, ranging from profile extrusion to cast film extrusion and from blow moulding to injection moulding and thermoforming. Markets serviced include food packaging, aerospace, automotive, industrial packaging, construction, utilities, marine and health.

“We do see continued growth in this sector on the horizon,” says Gerry McNally. “We’d like to see more support from government for the well-established indigenous industries in our sector here in Northern Ireland.

“But we do appreciate the support that Invest NI gives us through its backing for research and development in industry here.

“It’s not just about materials, processes and equipment. It’s also about the skills – technical, marketing, sales, project management and so on. We don’t just work closely with the universities and colleges on pure research. We also work with them to encourage graduates from Northern Ireland and from outside of Northern Ireland into our industry.”

To that end, the NI Polymers Association is working on plans for an industry-led Advanced Polymer Academy here, to provide relevant courses developed by industry for industry and delivered by industry experts.

“Our aim would be develop a Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Polymers, Processing & Applications, while at a lower level, we’d also like to see NIPA managed apprenticeships,” says Gerry McNally.

“And we’d like to see a bit more recognition of what this industry achieves right here in Northern Ireland.”

This interview by Richard Buckley was originally published in Business Eye magazine.