Hundreds of tonnes of steel from British Steel’s Lisburn operation are being used to help build Northern Ireland’s biggest hotel.
The local distribution centre has delivered steel sections to the prestigious Grand Central Hotel development in Belfast city centre.
When it is complete, the stunning 23-storey hotel will boast more than 300 rooms and employ 150 people.
Gavin Crooks, British Steel’s General Manager for Ireland, said: “Everyone at our Lisburn distribution centre is incredibly proud to be playing a part in the redevelopment of The Grand Central Hotel. It is so exciting to see our steel being used in a flagship project on our own doorstep.
“It will be a hugely impressive building once it has been completed and will be a major asset to Belfast.
“To know British Steel sections from Lisburn are helping transform Belfast’s skyline is an incredible feeling for our employees and we are delighted to be supporting Hastings Hotels on this project.”
Work on The Grand Central Hotel is well underway with the owners’ multi-million-pound investment rejuvenating the former Windsor House building on Belfast’s Bedford Street.
British Steel has worked with Lisburn-based construction company Fabrite to supply the steel sections for the hotel.
Howard Hastings, Managing Director of Hastings Hotels, said: “As a family firm we place a great importance on building close-working relationships with our partners and there is no better example of this than in our work with British Steel and Fabrite.
“The fact the steel is coming from their Lisburn operations only adds to this, and is a further signal of how we can work together to support the regional economy.
“Belfast has an extremely bright future and I am delighted British Steel and Fabrite are playing such an important role in our Grand Central Hotel development.”
British Steel manufactures steel sections in Scunthorpe and Teesside, both in England, and supports this with a number of distribution and metal centres throughout the UK and Ireland.
Its Lisburn operation employs 36 people and Gavin Crooks said: “Having our own British Steel sales office and distribution centre in Lisburn has enabled us to work that bit more closely with Fabrite and meet the demanding specifications a project of this magnitude requires.”
Fabrite Managing Director Kenny McAleenon said: “Before Fabrite placed an order with British Steel they received a schedule for cutting which had minimum waste and gave Fabrite an overall cost of material.
“Throughout the project British Steel have been proactive by giving Fabrite a ‘call off’ delivery service which is excellent for phase planning of production and installation.”