ONWARDS, UPWARDS Pictured are the directors of Portwest outside their headquarters in Westport, from left: Harry Hughes, Managing Director; Cathal Hughes, Chairman and Owen Hughes, Director of Portwest.
More good news for Westport-based multinationals as Portwest expands into fourth continent
Michael Duffy
AFTER yesterday’s news of major investment at Allergan Pharmaceuticals in Westport, there was more good news this morning as another Westport-based multinational company has announced further expansion.
Portwest, one of the leading Irish manufacturers of safety clothing and personal protective equipment, has acquired Melbourne company Prime Mover Workwear for a sum in excess of €7.5 million. The company describes this as ‘a significant step in Portwest’s strategic geographical expansion across the globe’. It also says it expects similar acquisitions in other areas in the future.
The company is owned by locally well-known brothers Cathal, Harry and Owen Hughes, who confidently expect turnover to reach €350 million by 2020, consolidating its position as ‘the fastest-growing workwear company in the world’.
Harry Hughes, Managing Director, Portwest Ltd, explained: “As part of our expansion plans, Portwest has strategically positioned warehousing across five major global locations - the USA, Dubai, UK, Poland and Ireland. The company invested substantially in factories in Bangladesh, and plans are in the final stages for a new manufacturing facility in Myanmar, where production will commence later this year.”
“We are delighted to announce this acquisition in the Australia/New Zealand market,” said Owen Hughes, the company’s Acquisition and Financial Director. “This marks an exciting new phase of development for Portwest, and we look forward to working with Brett Birkill in expanding our reach in this area.”
Prime Mover Workwear is the largest privately owned workwear company in Australia. It was founded in 2004 by Australian entrepreneur Brett Birkill who will remain with the company as CEO for Australia and New Zealand.
“This deal is obviously very exciting for me, but I wasn’t about to sell to just anyone,” explained Birkill, “I feel confident that the Portwest team will continue to uphold the quality and service I’ve spent 13 years building. They actually care.
“Although based on opposite sides of the planet, there is no denying the two companies share similar underlying values and core principals. Both are family enterprises with high-quality product design and manufacturing standards and offer outstanding service. Each has been successful in their respective markets, competing effectively against large publicly listed competitors,” added Mr Birkhill.
