Portwest, the Westport-headquartered company that makes safety clothing and personal protective equipment, is to invest €6 million to expand its Australian operations.

The investment will see Portwest add to its Australian workforce over the next four years. The announcement was made this week at Portwest’s new warehousing facility in Melbourne.

Chief executive Harry Hughes said: “Our vision for the company is clear. By selling more products, in more countries, through more sales people selling to more customers, Portwest will continue its strong growth. Our sights are firmly fixed on our new markets of Australia and the USA, where further investments in warehousing, staff and an outstanding pipeline of new designs and innovations will drive this growth.”

Enterprise Ireland regional director David Eccles  commented: “It is very exciting to see a third generation business embrace innovation so well and expand globally, and we look forward to the continued growth of Portwest in Australia.  While we have always had a high level of interest from Australian companies in Irish products and services, enquiries to Enterprise Ireland to match local companies with Irish manufacturers and developers across all sectors continues to grow at a phenomenal rate.”

Portwest has been acquiring Australian firms in recent years. They included Prime Mover workwear in 2017 and Huski Explorer earlier this year. In the year to February 2017, Portwest recorded turnover of €149m, up 18%, and booked an operating profit of €26m.

In Association with

Hughes added that his firm’s sights are set on expansion into new markets such as Australia and the US. “Further investments in warehousing, staff and an outstanding pipeline of new designs and innovations will drive this growth,” he said.

Photo (l-r): Breandán Ó Caollaí, Irish Ambassador to Australia; minister of state Patrick O'Donovan; Harry Hughes; and David Eccles, Enterprise Ireland