Former factory ready for new life

The equipment at Rathkeale, near Limerick, had previously been used by a costume jewellery manufacturer.

When the redundant jewellery site was acquired by local economic development agency, Innovate Limerick, with the intention of converting the it to a multi-purpose enterprise zone, the electroplating facilities had to be sold and decommissioned in keeping with EU legislation for the safe disposal of industrial chemicals and other hazardous materials.  

Riley appointed chemical engineer Neil Cremin, through his company Chemical Surface Treatment Technologies, to act as project manager for the decommissioning and to assist with the machinery site clearance.

A large Acid Copper electroplating line was sold to Billdidit, a musical accessories manufacturer in Nova Scotia. The entire plant was dismantled, shipped across the Atlantic and re-assembled in Canada by the Riley Surface World support team.

The second phase saw the remaining electroplating plants and all ancillary waste water treatment equipment sold by auction using Riley’s online bidding channel.

Together with Neil Cremin and his team,Riley has cleared the site and rendered it ready for conversion to a mixed commercial development. This will help to create future employment prospects for the many people that lost their jobs following the closure of the company two years ago.