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Aero-Heli in Mid Ulster is being assisted by Invest Northern Ireland to land new business in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland for its expert rental and maintenance services for small helicopters.
The small company, formed in 2009 by Dermot Fahy and currently operating from Newtownards airport and a base in the Mid-Ulster area, approached Invest NI for support to expand its business with both private and public clients in markets outside Northern Ireland.
Aero-Heli Managing Director Dermot Fahy said: “We commissioned market research that showed that there were significant opportunities for our range of expert and highly competitive helicopter services. Combined with inquiries from potential clients abroad and a project in Greenland for arctic research support, we decided to look to new markets and invested in equipment and facilities at our Northern Ireland bases.”
But the export-focused company needed additional help, including finance, to market its professional and value for money services to increasingly cost-conscious clients outside Northern Ireland.
Invest NI shaped a package of bespoke financial assistance and practical support that has helped the company increase awareness of its expertise and services among potential clients. The company is focusing on markets including aerial surveys, contract work, monitoring and maintaining pipelines and electricity grids and also emergency response services.
The package of assistance has been designed to support the company’s strategy of increasing business outside Northern Ireland to around 40 per cent of turnover over the next two years.
Dermot Fahy added: “Invest NI’s guidance and practical support has enabled us to move ahead quickly with our marketing activities in Britain and the Republic of Ireland. I look forward to working closely with Invest NI to harness the business opportunities that I am confident exist for our services, particularly from corporate clients and utilities, in both these important markets.”
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