To upgrade equipment in order to allow an existing rural-based business to expand.
Catriona Thompson has been running Express NI since 2001, providing promotional products – uniforms, t-shirts, ceramics, golf balls, etc – to hotels, societies, the National Trust and other independent companies. In order to expand the company, Catriona established that she needed to upgrade the one-head embroidery machine she used to a four-head embroidery machine that would enable her to produce items much more quickly and increase turnover.
Funding from DRAP enabled the applicant to purchase a 4 head embroidery machine, increase turnover and employ an extra member of staff.